Paradise Woods Kentucky Oaks Morning-Line Favorite

Richard Mandella trained Paradise Woods, winner of the April 8 Santa Anita Oaks (G1), drew post four in the 14-horse lineup for the May 5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) and was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the premiere race for 3-year-old fillies.

Steven Sarkowsky and Martin and Pam Wygod's Paradise Woods has made just three starts but captured the Santa Anita Oaks by 11 3/4 lengths.

Miss Sky Warrior was installed as the 9-2 second choice off her win in the April 8 Gazelle Stakes (G2) and will break from post 10.

Coffeepot Stables’ Farrell, a winner of four straight including the Rachel Alexandra Stakes and TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (both G2) is the 5-1 third choice and will break from post 7 under Channing Hill, the son-in-law of trainer Wayne Catalano.

Catalano was more than happy with the seven post, noting immediately as her number went up that when he schools the 3-year-old Malibu Moon filly, he puts her in post seven.

“If I can get the 5-1, I want to bet now,” the trainer said during the draw that was conducted near the media center at Churchill Downs under the auspices of racing secretary Ben Huffman and Churchill Downs’ Dan Bork. “We’ve run here a bunch of times. She’s proven she likes the racetrack. That might give us an advantage.”

Farrell, a homebred for Bob Cummings and Annette Bacola, won Churchill Downs’ Golden Rod Stakes (G2) last fall by six lengths and broke her maiden under the Twin Spires last October.  Both wins came on the pace.

“I don’t want her too far back because she has so much tactical speed. If she runs like she did in April, she’ll be tough to beat,” said Hill. “The field is wide open. It’s like the (Kentucky) Derby this year…everybody looks like they have a real chance. But Wayne and I couldn’t be more confident.”

As for the favorite, Paradise Woods’ Santa Anita Oaks success made a lot of people forget about Unique Bella, the leader of the Southern California ranks earlier this year before being sidelined. Her inexperience is the major concern for Mandella.

“My filly is young and just gaining experience,” he said. “She’s naturally gifted and has a lot of speed. If we come out of there and if she’s on the lead, that’s fine. If someone else is crazy for it, we’ll settle just off of it.

“She’s come a long way fast,” he continued. “Having come here before and having had tail between my legs, I know it’s an obstacle we need to overcome. We are out here with an inexperienced filly, but we’re going to do the best we can.”

Mandella ran second with four-time champion Beholder in the 2013 Oaks.

While there are several in the Oaks field with local experience, Miss Sky Warrior holds an edge having won twice at the Oaks’ nine-furlong distance. The First Samurai   filly won the 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle Stakes (G2) last November, then added Aqueduct’s Gazelle.

“I really like our post position to be outside of the speed horses to see what we’re going to do,” said trainer Kelly Breen. “We are the speed of the race. We’ve gone a mile and an eighth already. With (jockey) Paco (Lopez) being on the outside, we get to make the decision whether we want to go to the lead or not. It’s a lot easier to be on the outside.”

The Oaks also features grade 1 winners Sailor's Valentine (post 8) and Abel Tasman (post 13).

“I’m happy with post 8,” said Sailor’s Valentine’s trainer Eddie Kenneally. “There is plenty of speed in the race. I think she’ll relax early and come running. She really loves the track and is relaxed here at Churchill Downs.”

Sailor’s Valentine, by Mizzen Mast  , races for Ron and Ricki Rashinski and Semaphore Racing. She was a 22-1 winner of Keeneland’s Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1). China Horse Club and Clearsky Farms’ Abel Tasman won last December’s Starlet Stakes (G1). She was moved from trainer Simon Callaghan to Bob Baffert prior to her running second to Paradise Woods at Santa Anita.

In the outside post is Gary Barber, Baccari Racing Stable, and Chester Prince’s Salty, who is also light on experience having just made three starts. She won the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Oaks (G2) April 1.

“I don’t expect to be close to the pace, so it doesn’t really matter,” said trainer Mark Casse. “She’s doing great. I told Norman when she drew 14 that if we got that in the Derby we’d be happy (Casse also trains Kentucky Derby contender Classic Empire). That post might have been a little harder on some of the other fillies, but not for us. For us, our filly should be able to drop over and save some ground.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott sent out Lockdown (post 2) for a three-furlong blowout this morning in :35, the third fastest of 20 at the trip this morning at Churchill Downs. Juddmonte Farms’ homebred daughter of First Defence has made all four of her starts at Aqueduct, taking the Busanda Stakes over the inner track Jan. 15 and finishing second to Miss Sky Warrior in the Gazelle.

Barber’s Summer Luck, also trained by Casse, failed to draw into the Oaks and is the race’s lone also-eligible.

Post positions and morning line odds

1. Ever So Clever 20-1

2. Lockdown 20-1

3. Mopotism 20-1

4. Paradise Woods 5-2

5. Jordan's Henny 30-1

6. Vexatious 20-1

7. Farrell 5-1

8. Sailor's Valentine 30-1

9. Wicked Lick 30-1

10. Miss Sky Warrior 9-2

11. Tequilita 20-1

12. Daddys Lil Darling 20-1

13. Abel Tasman 5-1

14. Salty 6-1

AE: Summer Luck  30-1