Wonder Wheel Among 103 Early Nominees to Kentucky Oaks
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Photo: Casey Laughter
Wonder Wheel after winning the 2022 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland
D. J. Stable's multiple grade 1 winner and champion filly Wonder Wheel highlights a cast of 103 sophomore fillies made eligible during the early nomination phase to compete in the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 5 at Churchill Downs.
The 3-year-old fillies became eligible to compete in the 1 1/8-mile Oaks with a $200 payment due Feb. 18. Those fillies not made eligible at the early nomination deadline can become eligible through a $1,500 payment by April 15.
Wonder Wheel, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, made her 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, finishing second behind 38-1 longshot Dreaming of Snow . Previously, Wonder Wheel scored stakes victories at 2 in the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs and in the Alcibiades Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), both at Keeneland.
Other nominees to the Oaks include Peter Redekop's Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner And Tell Me Nolies ; Team Equistaff and Winning Stables' Suncoast winner Dreaming of Snow; Lucky Seven Stable's Pocahontas Stakes (G3) winner Fun and Feisty ; Gold Standard Racing Stable's Golden Rod (G2) winner Hoosier Philly ; Stonestreet Stables' Demoiselle Stakes (G2) winner Julia Shining ; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's UAE Oaks (G3) winner Mimi Kakushi ; Godolphin's Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) winner Pretty Mischievous ; and Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing's Forward Gal (G3) winner Red Carpet Ready .
The list of nominations is available online.