Go Maggie Go, Mokat Late Nominees to KY Oaks

Mike Tarp's Go Maggie Go and J K Racing Stable's Mokat pushed the number of nominees to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) to 114 when the late phase of nominations for the race closed April 13.

Go Maggie Go is the unbeaten winner of the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II), and Mokat is the California-based runner-up to unbeaten champion Songbird in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I). Songbird was the overwhelming favorite leading up to the May 6 Oaks at Churchill Downs but has been unable to train recently because of a recent low-grade fever and will bypass the 1 1/8-mile event.

Both Go Maggie Go and Mokat rank in the top 10 in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks points system that will determine the participation in the race for 3-year-old fillies.           

Go Maggie Go is a homebred daughter of Ghostzapper   trained by Dale Romans who is unbeaten in two races. She scored an easy victory in her racing debut at Gulfstream Park March 13 and returned on April 2 to win the Gulfstream Park Oaks by 2 1/4 lengths. She has earned $175,900 in her two races and is currently ranked sixth on the Oaks Leaderboard with 100 points.

Mokat, a daughter of Uncle Mo   trained by Richard Baltas, has performed well in a pair of runs in her last two starts against reigning 2-year-old filly champion Songbird that included a runner-up finish in the Santa Anita Oaks and a third-place finish in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III). She has a career record of 1-2-2 in seven races, all at Southern California tracks, with total earnings of $155,040.  Mokat currently is ranked eighth on the Oaks Leaderboard with 50 points.

           

There is one more opportunity for members of this year's crop of 3-year-old fillies to become eligible to compete in the 2016 Kentucky Oaks. That is through payment of a $30,000 supplementary nomination fee at the time of entry to the Kentucky Oaks May 3.

A payment of $5,000 is required to enter the Oaks, and another $5,000 is required to start.