Austere Faces Stern Opposition in Florida Oaks

Out of action since finishing a close fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) last fall at Santa Anita Park, stakes-winning Austere  returns against a deep and promising cast March 9 in the $200,000 Florida Oaks (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs.

Winner of a maiden race at Ellis Park and the $487,500 Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs before her two-length defeat in the Breeders' Cup, the Brendan Walsh-trained Austere has earned a race-high $370,950. The daughter of Mendelssohn   competes for owners Belmar Racing and Breeding, Bradley Thoroughbreds, Cambron Equine, Tucci Stables, and Gary Finder.

Tyler Gaffalione, who rode her to win the Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Kentucky Downs and later in the Breeders' Cup, returns in the irons.

She faces 11 other 3-year-old fillies in the 1 1/16-mile turf race, including:

• Style Points , runner-up in the Feb. 3 Sweetest Chant Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park after breaking her maiden there Dec. 24 in her second career outing.
• Dynamic Pricing , third in the Sweetest Chant—just a neck behind runner-up Style Points—after a debut score.
• Waskesiu , third in the Jan. 6 Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream.
• Witwatersrand , a graded stakes winner on the synthetic Tapeta surface last fall at Woodbine who seeks to rebound from a sixth on dirt in the Feb. 3 Forward Gal Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream.