KY Oaks Contenders Birdatthewire, Puca Breeze

Forum Racing's Birdatthewire and Donegal Racing's Puca tuned up for their bids in the May 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) April 18 at Churchill Downs over a fast track.

Birdatthewire, winner of the March 28 Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II) for trainer Dale Romans, cruised a half-mile in :47 1/5 with splits of :11 4/5, :23 3/5, and :35 1/5. The daughter of 2009 Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Summer Bird galloped out five furlongs in :59 3/5, three-quarters of a mile in 1:12 3/5, and seven-eighths in 1:27 flat.

"Birdatthewire is just a push-button horse," said Romans, who is looking for his first Kentucky Oaks victory. "Everything she does is easy. There are no issues and no problems."

Puca, runner-up in the April 4 Gazelle Stakes (gr. II), registered a four-furlong work in :48 1/5.

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 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 Racing 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 and 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.