KY Oaks: Feels Like a Final Four

While the "Road to the Final Four" reached its conclusion the night of April 6 in Indianapolis with the men's NCAA basketball championship game, it's time to get on the on-ramp for the "Road to Louisville." One can't help but feel that the contenders for this year's May 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) has a certain  "Final Four" feel to it.

After a series of strong prep races April 4, here is how the bracket seems to be shaping up:

East Region: Condo Commando

Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and The Elkstone Group's Condo Commando is clear the one seed here off her two wins at Aqueduct this year. Her three wins (from four starts) in 2014 were all won by margins of double-digit-lengths. Allowed to set soft fractions April 4 in the Gazelle Stakes (gr. II) at the Oaks trip, she had plenty left in the tank under Josel Rosario to win by 2 1/2. She earned a 103 Equibase Speed Figure.

By Tiz Wonderful—Yearly Report, by General Meeting, Condo Commando was bred by Spendthrift Farm and is inbred 5x3x5 to Seattle Slew.

South Region: Birdatthewire

A neck loss in the one-turn mile Davona Dale Stakes (gr. II) is all that separates Forum Racing's Birdatthewire from a sweep of Gulfstream Park's series of races for 3-year-old fillies. That miss resulted in her highest Equibase Speed Figure of 107, but her win in the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II) March 28 was more visually impressive. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Summer Bird broke her maiden under the Twin Spires back on Nov. 29 going 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.03 the same day Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) favorite Dortmund ran a one-turn mile in 1:35.75.

Birdatthewire—the one seed from the South Region—is trained by Louisville-based Dale Romans. Bred by Lynn Jones and Kathy Jones out of the Wagon Limit mare My Limit, she is 2-1-0 in four starts around two turns.

Midwest Region: I'm a Chatterbox

Fletcher and Carolyn Gray's homebred swept the Silverbulletday Stakes, Rachel Alexandra Stakes (gr. III), and Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) in New Orleans to earn the one seed in the Midwest. From the first crop of Munnings  , I'm a Chatterbox has won on the lead or from off the pace under Florent Geroux. She, too, raced at Churchill Downs last year, running third in an allowance optional claimer and fourth in the Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II). She's come a long way since then.

I'm a Chatterbox is trained by Larry Jones, who also trains "two seed" Lovely Maria. Second to I'm a Chatterbox in the Rachel Alexandra, Brereton Jones' Lovely Maria bypassed the Fair Grounds Oaks and was a clear winner of the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I) April 4 at Keeneland. The daughter of Majesticperfection   is getting good at the right time.

Oh, yeah, Brereton Jones—who has won the Kentucky Oaks twice with fillies trained by Larry Jones—co-owns "three seed" Include Betty with his Airdrie Stud manager Tim Thornton. Include Betty was a thrilling winner of the Fantasy Stakes (gr. III). Trained by Tom Proctor, she earned a 100 Equibase Speed Figure for her win at Oaklawn Park.

West Region: Stellar Wind

Kosta Hronis' private purchase Stellar Wind has blown past her rivals at Santa Anita in her last two starts to lock down the one seed in the West. She raced for Barbara Houch and trainer Donald Barr at 2 in Maryland and is now trained by John Sadler in California. In back-to-back starts at 1 1/16 miles the daughter of Curlin   won the Feb. 28 Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) by 2 3/4 lengths and the April 4 Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) by 5 1/4 lengths. In both efforts she made strong moves from the middle of the pack and easily separated herself from the pack from the eighth pole to the wire.

Out of a mare by Malibu Moon  , Stellar Wind was bred in Virginia by Peggy Augustus' Keswick Stables and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.