KY Oaks Contender Puca Breezes for Mott
Description:
Donegal Racing's Puca, runner-up in the April 4 Gazelle Stakes (gr. II) and hopeful for the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), tuned up for her bid in the May 1 test with a four-furlong work in :48 1/5 over a fast track April 18 at Churchill Downs.
The 3-year-old daughter of 2008 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum Brands (gr. I) winner Big Brown had Jo Lawson in the saddle for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott when working in company with stablemate Japan. Puca's internal fractions were timed by Churchill Downs clockers in :12 2/5 and :24 2/5 and she galloped out five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 and six furlongs in 1:14 2/5.
The work by Puca ranked 10th among 57 training moves at the half-mile distance. She started off 1 1/2 lengths in front of Japan, a 3-year-old colt in Mott's care, and the son of Medaglia d'Oro was timed in :48 for his work.
"I thought it was a good, nice steady work," said Mott, who was at Churchill for his filly's first breeze over the track. "There was plenty of horse the whole way. She finished up good and galloped out very good."
The work was the first serious training move at Churchill for the Donegal filly, who shipped to Louisville shortly after her runner-up finish by 2 1/2 lengths to Kentucky Oaks contender Condo Commando in the 1 1/8-mile Gazelle.
Puca's lone victory in six career races was a 16-length romp in a Belmont Park maiden race on Oct. 1. That win was followed by a troubled sixth-place run behind champion Take Charge Brandi in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park. Her only other race during her 3-year-old season was a fourth-place run in Gulfstream Park's Davona Dale (gr. II).
"She broke her maiden very impressively and then she ran well coming back in the Breeders' Cup where she had a rough trip and got stopped," Mott said. "She's indicated that she belongs. She ran second in the Gazelle so she's coming off of a good race and the horse that won the Gazelle was alone on the lead with nobody to challenge. So we felt that if she gets a little pace (in the Oaks), she gets the mile-and-an-eighth well enough. So we're going to give her a chance."
The career record for Puca stands at 1-1-1 in six races with earnings of $122,832.
Although Mott is the career leader in both victories and stakes triumphs at Churchill Downs, he has never saddled a winner in the Kentucky Oaks.