McPeek Sends Out Pair of Fillies in Honeybee Stakes

Trainer Kenny McPeek will own one fourth of the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) field March 13 at Oaklawn Park when he sends out a pair of fillies with designs on scoring enough qualifying points to earn their way on the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) leaderboard. 

Oliviaofthedesert is the more accomplished of the duo, having won a Nov. 28 allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs as well as the Trapeze Stakes at Remington Park in her final two starts last year at 2. In 2020, the filly also ran third in the Mint Juvenile Fillies Stakes on the turf at Kentucky Downs and the Rags to Riches Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs as well as a credible fifth in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. 

Owned by Susan Moulton, the daughter of Bernardini  was purchased for $320,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. David Cabrera will have the call from post 7. 

Breaking from the rail is Lee Pokoik's homebred Candy Ride  filly Tabor Hall, who was a front-running 1 1/2-length maiden winner in her last start Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park. David Cohen will partner. 

"They're both two-turn fillies," McPeek said. "I think it's ideal timing for both of them to see where they fit in the scheme of the Oaks and the 3-year-old filly division. Olivia won a nice little race out at Remington and Tabor Hall's shown quality. (She's a) nice Candy Ride filly. They're both doing well and the timing was good."

Also sending out a brace of competitors is Brad Cox, who won last year's renewal of the Honeybee with eventual Kentucky Oaks victress Shedaresthedevil. Representing the Cox barn is Coach and Sun Path, a Juddmonte Farms' homebred daughter of Munnings . The chestnut filly won two races at 2, but has made only one prior start in 2021, running fourth in the Jan. 16 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Joe Talamo will have the call on Sun Path from post 4.

Breaking from the outside post 8 is Coach, a daughter of Commissioner owned by Kueber Racing. The winner of the Rags to Riches Stakes at 2, Coach also finished third in the Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill that same year. Coach's only start this year came Jan. 30 at Oaklawn in the Martha Washington Stakes where she finished second. Florent Geroux will partner. 

The 1 1/16-mile Honeybee will offer 85 points (50-20-10-5, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks. The Honeybee is also the final major local prep for the April 3 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn—the final Kentucky Oaks prep race—which offers points on a scale of 100-40-20-10 to the top four finishers. 

Entries: Honeybee S. (G3)

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, March 06, 2021, Race 9

• Grade III
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Tabor Hall (KY)	David Cohen	117	Kenneth G. McPeek	10/1
2	2Will's Secret (KY)	Jon Kenton Court	122	Dallas Stewart	7/2
3	3Willful Woman (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	117	Steven M. Asmussen	6/1
4	4Sun Path (KY)	Joseph Talamo	117	Brad H. Cox	5/2
5	5Pauline's Pearl (KY)	Francisco Arrieta	117	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
6	6Absolute Anna (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	117	Jerry Hollendorfer	15/1
7	7Oliviaofthedesert (KY)	David Cabrera	119	Kenneth G. McPeek	7/2
8	8Coach (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Brad H. Cox	4/1