Vexatious' Bumpy Ride to the Oaks

There is rarely a clear path to victory in Thoroughbred racing, from maiden claiming races to top-end stakes. Such is the case for Calumet Farm's Vexatious in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). While winless in three starts this year heading into the Oaks, she's had her excuses and has a right to move forward May 5.

On paper she has a lot of things going for her. A daughter of leading sire Giant's Causeway  , she's out of Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) winner Dream of Summer and is a full sister to the grade 1 winner Creative Cause   and Destin, last year's Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) victor and the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) runner-up.

She also is the hands of Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale. A member of the Hall since 2000, Drysdale has also trained two Oaks winners who made their way to the Hall of Fame.

Vexatious broke her maiden in November at Del Mar in her second start, then worked steadily early in her 3-year-old year until she made her first outing March 9 against colts.

"We ducked Unique Bella in the allowance race because it didn't make sense to run against her first time out on the year," Drysdale said. "She had a terrible trip and went back to last, and she was on the rail."

The optional-claiming allowance race at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita Park looks much tougher now. The winner, Battle of Midway, has made his way to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) May 6. Sixth after a half-mile, Vexatious rallied for third.

With little time to get to the Oaks, Drysdale realized he was behind and wanted to get two more starts in her. They hit the road, and ran in the April 1 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and April 14 Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park.

"We went to New Orleans and ran off the plane (arriving Thursday before the Saturday race) and she was a little bit rank—a little bit jazzed up," Drysdale said. "We realize now we can't just run off the plane."

On the pace at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, she finished third behind fellow Oaks runners Farrell and Wicked Lick.

"We went to Arkansas and she didn't have the best of trips there," he said. "She settled much better. She ran well, but she just really had a rough trip. She got hit about three times. That was a really rough race."

She finished third again, this time behind Oaks rival Ever So Clever and Chanel's Legacy.

For the Kentucky Oaks, Vexatious is a 20-1 longshot on the morning line, a far cry from his two previous winners, who both won at odds-on.

Saron Stable's Bold 'n Determined won the 1980 Oaks as the 3-5 favorite. Like Vexatious, Bold 'n Determined prepped at Oaklawn, but won the Fantasy as the even-money favorite. Later in the year Drysdale and Bold 'n Determined hooked that year's Derby winner, Genuine Risk, in the Maskette Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park. Ceding four pounds to the Derby winner, Bold 'n Determined won by a nose going a one-turn mile. She later edged Love Sign in Keeneland's grade 1 Spinster, but failed to earn the championship that year.

She joined the Hall of Fame in 1997. Paula Tucker's Princess Rooney, trained by Drysdale, won the 1983 Oaks and entered the Hall of Fame in 1991.

Princess Rooney won Keeneland's Ashland Stakes (G1) at 1-5 before taking the Oaks at 1-5. She later won the inaugural Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) by seven lengths, getting 1 1/4 miles at Hollywood Park in 2:02 2/5, which was a faster time than Wild Again won the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) later that afternoon.

Vexatious has a long way to go if she is to get into the Hall of Fame, but May 5 would be a good place to start.