Cosmic Burst, Tyfosha Meet in Martha Washington Stakes

The $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 10 at Oaklawn Park will see locally based stakes winner Cosmic Burst try to extend her win streak to four in a field that includes Tyfosha, who found her initial success on the Oaklawn oval.

The Martha Washington, a one-mile race that carries qualifying points (10-4-2-1) to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), has attracted six 3-year-old fillies.

Norma Lee Stockseth and Todd Dunn's Cosmic Burst will make her seasonal debut after closing her juvenile campaign with an eye-catching victory in the Trapeze Stakes at Remington Park. Making her stakes debut in the Dec. 17 Trapeze, the daughter of Violence  easily took care of business at a mile, drawing off in the stretch to score by 5 1/4 lengths.

Trained by Donnie Von Hemel, Cosmic Burst will be looking for a fourth  win over her fourth different surface. She won at second asking—and first try at two turns—in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race in October at Keeneland. She followed that with a clear victory in a one-mile allowance race at Churchill Downs in November ahead of the Trapeze.

Awaiting 9-5 morning-line favorite Cosmic Burst will be Zedan Racing Stables' Tyfosha, who finished second in her first three maiden starts in Southern California before breaking through in a big way after being shipped to Oaklawn for her 2018 debut. Trained by Doug O'Neill, the daughter of Flatter  dueled with early leader Unprovoked into the stretch before finding another gear to draw off by 4 1/4 lengths in that Jan. 21 maiden special weight at six furlongs.

Tyfosha is 2-1 on the morning line. She will be carrying 115 pounds, seven fewer than Cosmic Burst.

While those two break from the outside posts in the short field, 5-2 choice Sassy Sienna starts from post 2 after crushing eight other 3-year-old fillies in her season debut, a Jan. 15 allowance-optional claiming race at Oaklawn. The daughter of Midshipman  won her debut in July last year on the turf at Indiana Grand, then dropped her final four starts of the season, including a fifth-place finish in the Trapeze.

In that 2018 debut, Sassy Sienna picked up Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens and they put together a 9 1/2-length score going one mile. Stevens is scheduled to be aboard again Saturday.

Rounding out the field are stakes winner Secret Passion, impressive maiden winner Red Ruby, and longshot Grats Road.

Entries: Martha Washington S.

Oaklawn Park, Saturday, February 10, 2018, Race 8

• STK
• 1m
• Dirt
• $125,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:38 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Secret Passion (KY)	Edwin A. Maldonado	119	Scott Gelner	12/1
2	2Sassy Sienna (KY)	Gary L. Stevens	119	Brad H. Cox	5/2
3	3Red Ruby (KY)	Robby Albarado	115	Kellyn Gorder	9/2
4	4Grats Road (KY)	Rayan Gazader	115	David R. Vance	30/1
5	5Cosmic Burst (PA)	Richard E. Eramia	122	Donnie K. Von Hemel	9/5
6	6Tyfosha (VA)	Alex L. Canchari	115	Doug F. O'Neill	2/1