Laura's Light Shines as Bourbonette Oaks Favorite

Last year, the achievements of his horses, led by Preakness Stakes (G1) winner War of Will and skilled turf miler Got Stormy, made Gary Barber a finalist for the Eclipse Award as outstanding owner, a prize he lost to Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence.

Now, two months following the trophy ceremony, the former MGM executive and co-founder of Spyglass Entertainment aims to continue his momentum into 2020 when his quick 3-year-old filly Laura's Light invades from Southern California for the $150,000 Maxim Crane Works Bourbonette Oaks March 14 on the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) undercard at Turfway Park.

Although the Bourbonette was downgraded from a grade 3 in 2019, it remains one of Turfway's most important races. Besides its six-figure purse, it distributes points toward the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) on a 20-8-4-2 basis, identical to what the Jeff Ruby offers on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Laura's Light enters the race off consecutive victories on turf: the Blue Norther Stakes and Sweet Life Stakes (G3T). She has been installed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite against an overflow field of 11 others, plus one also-eligible.

Peter Miller trains the daughter of Constitution . Barber purchased her privately after Laura's Light broke her maiden at first asking Nov. 2 on the Tapeta track at Golden Gate Fields. Miller began training her thereafter.

Albin Jimenez, the leading rider at Turfway Park, has the mount.

The co-second choice at 4-1 in the one-mile Bourbonette is Pass the Plate, who won on grass last fall at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.

The Silvertown Hill-owned daughter of Temple City  then raced twice at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, finishing sixth in the Silverbulletday Stakes on dirt and third in the Shantel Lanerie Memorial Stakes on grass behind the unbeaten Alms and next-race winner Dominga.

Trainer Paul McGee has named Florent Geroux to ride the filly, who is making her first start on Turfway's Polytrack surface.

Also at 4-1 and coming off a stakes effort at Fair Grounds is Impeccable Style, an Uncle Mo  filly who was fifth behind Finite and British Idiom in her first start at 3 in the Feb. 15 Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton (G2). Last year, she broke her maiden at Churchill Downs after a debut fourth at Saratoga Race Course. All of her races have been on dirt for Gainesway Stable, Catalyst Stable, Paul McInnis, Patty Slevin, and Magdalena Racing.

Kenny McPeek, a three-time winner of the Bourbonette with Orchestrator (2010), Wonderment (2016), and Purely a Dream (2017), has given the riding assignment to Corey Lanerie, who, like Geroux, is bypassing Fair Grounds to compete at Turfway.

Queen of God (9-2) and Oxum Power (8-1) are the other two entrants projected to start at odds of less than 10-1.

Entries: Maxim Crane Works Bourbonette Oaks

Turfway Park, Saturday, March 14, 2020, Race 10

• STK
• 1m
• All Weather Track
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:55 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mama's Grey Ghost (KY)	J. D. Acosta	118	Anthony Farrior	20/1
2	2Swanage (KY)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	118	Steven M. Asmussen	12/1
3	3Queen of God (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Michael J. Maker	9/2
4	4Oxum Power (KY)	Joseph D. Ramos	120	Paulo H. Lobo	8/1
5	5Pass the Plate (KY)	Florent Geroux	118	Paul J. McGee	4/1
6	6Fashion Code (KY)	Alan Garcia	118	Steven M. Asmussen	20/1
7	7Impeccable Style (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	4/1
8	8Las Ramblas (KY)	Alex Achard	118	Kim Hammond	50/1
9	9Laura's Light (KY)	Albin Jimenez	124	Peter Miller	9/5
10	10Kay Bee Gee (KY)	John McKee	118	Ronald Kahles	20/1
11	11Baby Karats (KY)	Julie Burke	118	John Ennis	50/1
12	12Secretly Wicked (KY)	Ajhari Williams	118	Jack L. Hancock	50/1
13	13A Wicked Wildcat (KY)	Sonny Leon	118	Aveory Faircloth	50/1