KY Oaks-Bound Fillies Work at Churchill
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Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I)-bound fillies Unbridled Forever, Sugar Shock, Aurelia's Belle, and Room Service all posted workouts at Churchill Downs the morning of April 24 in preparation for the upcoming "Run for the Lilies."
Charles Fipke's homebred filly Unbridled Forever, a daughter of Unbridled's Song—Lemons Forever, by Lemon Drop Kid, completed five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 under exercise rider Pedro Velez. The bay filly posted splits of :12 1/5, :36 4/5, :48 2/5, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.
"(The work) was perfect," said trainer Dallas Stewart, looking ahead to the May 2 Kentucky Oaks. "She seems ready to roll. She didn't get tired and she did well."
Unbridled Forever broke her maiden in her second start at 2, and then launched her sophomore campaign with a 1 1/2-length score in the Jan. 18 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The Kentucky-bred has earned $140,830 from four career starts.
Fantasy Stakes (gr. III) winner Sugar Shock covered four furlongs with Calvin Borel aboard in :48 2/5. The daughter of Candy Ride —Enthusiastically, by Distorted Humor , recorded splits of :12 1/5, :24 2/5, :36 4/5, and :48 2/5. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.
Bred in Kentucky by Pam and Martin Wygod, Sugar Shock was bought for $20,000 by Cathy Anderson at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale from Lane's End, agent. She has been campaigned in all her starts by Cloud Nine Racing, a partnership comprised of trainer Doug Anderson; Warren Bush, an Iowa-based lawyer; Aaron Kennedy, an Iowa-based advertising agency owner; and Jim and Helen Coulter, retirees from Illinois.
In addition to the Fantasy, Sugar Shock also finished first but was disqualified and placed second in the March 8 Honeybee Stakes (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park. She holds an overall record of 3-1-1 from six starts, for earnings of $343,130.
Also on the April 24 worktab were the Wayne Catalano-trained Aurelia's Belle and Room Service, who ran seven furlongs in 1:28 3/5.
Owned by James Miller, Aurelia's Belle was on the inside with Florent Geroux up, while Gary and Mary West's Room Service worked on the outside under Shaun Bridgmohan. The fillies recorded splits of :13, :26 1/5, :38 3/5, :50 4/5, 1:03 1/5, and 1:15 2/5. They galloped out one mile in 1:42 4/5.
"I'm very happy with the way they worked," said Catalano. "I need to talk with the Wests and make a decision on running Room Service (in the Oaks). She handled the track good."
Aurelia's Belle, a daughter of Lemon Drop Kid —Aurelia, by Danzig, won the March 22 Pure Romance Bourbonette Oaks (gr. III) at Turfway Park in her last start. A $170,000 purchase at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale, she also placed in this year's Forward Gal Stakes (gr. II), Davona Dale Stakes (gr. II), and Old Hat Stakes (gr. III).
Bred in Kentucky by Helen Groves and daughters Helen Alexander and Dorothy Matz, Aurelia's Belle holds an overall record of 2-1-2 from five starts, for earnings of $176,450.
Room Service, a Kentucky homebred for the Wests, dead-heated with Rosalind for victory in the April 5 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland after capturing the March 2 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park. The Oaks would be the first start on dirt for the daughter of More Than Ready —Dream Lady, by Old Trieste, who has compiled a career record of 3-1-2 from six starts and earnings of $336,565.