Farrell Poised for Next Test in Fair Grounds Oaks

Coffee Pot Stables' homebred Farrell will look to score her fourth straight stakes win and keep her status atop the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard in the $400,000 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) April 1. 

Already assured a spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs May 5 with 70 qualifying points (tied for the lead with Unique Bella), the Malibu Moon   filly could cement her status as a Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender in the 1 1/16-mile test at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trainer Wayne Catalano is confident in his multiple graded stakes winner heading into the race where she'll face seven others, but said she's still learning.

"She's doing great. She's training great," Catalano said. "She's not an easy filly (to work with). She's kind of hyper. She's starting to learn and settle down a little bit."

In her last three outings, which she won by a combined 12 1/4 lengths, Farrell has set the pace or raced just off of it. In the Feb. 25 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2), also at 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds, she broke sharp and never let her competition get closer than a length before hitting the wire 3 1/2 in front. In the one-mile Silverbulletday Stakes in January, she raced just off the pacesetter before making a move after six furlongs to win by 2 3/4 lengths. 

NOVAK: Farrell Vaults to the Top of Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard

If Farrell passes the next test, she could face the West Coast's top 3-year-old filly in Louisville.

"Well, she's at the top (of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard)," Catalano said. "Of course Unique Bella is a very, very nice filly. The rest of (the 3-year-old filly crop), I don't really know too much about them until we cross them. 

"I'd like to see how this race goes first and then we'll see what shakes up for the (Kentucky) Oaks."

Big Chief Racing, Rocker O Ranch, and trainer Keith Desormeaux's Majestic Quality is winless in eight starts but finished second to Farrell in the Rachel Alexandra. After being bumped at the start and traveling wide around both turns, the daughter of Quality Road   got a head in front of Valadorna for second.

The fourth-place finisher in the Rachel Alexandra, Brendan Walsh's Wicked Lick, came in second behind Farrell in the Silverbulletday. She finished a head over Gris Gris in third after a slow start. The Maclean's Music   filly's only win came at second asking, a Sept. 22 maiden special weight at Churchill. 

Gary Barber's Summer Luck enters the Fair Grounds Oaks off a third and fourth in the Davona Dale and the Forward Gal stakes (both G2) at Gulfstream Park. She broke her maiden in November at Churchill. 

Calumet Farm's Vexatious broke her maiden in November at Del Mar, getting a head in front of Majestic Quality at the wire. She ran third in an allowance optional claming race March 9 at Santa Anita Park when facing colts. 

Also entered are maiden winners Daria's Angel, Corporate Queen, and Queen Bernardina. 

Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, April 01, 2017, Race 10

• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:41 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Majestic Quality (KY)	Richard E. Eramia	122	J. Keith Desormeaux	6/1
2	2Daria's Angel (KY)	Robby Albarado	122	W. Bret Calhoun	6/1
3	3Wicked Lick (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Brendan P. Walsh	12/1
4	4Corporate Queen (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Mark E. Casse	5/1
5	5Vexatious (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	122	Neil D. Drysdale	6/1
6	6Farrell (KY)	Channing Hill	122	Wayne M. Catalano	8/5
7	7Summer Luck (KY)	Patrick Husbands	122	Mark E. Casse	9/2
8	8Queen Bernardina (KY)	Miguel Mena	122	W. Bret Calhoun	20/1