Serengeti Empress on the Hunt in Fair Grounds Oaks
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Photo: Hodges Photography / Britt Benson
Serengeti Empress goes gate-to-wire to win the Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds
Based on the results of the Feb. 16 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2), Dr. Joel Politi's Serengeti Empress will be a solid choice to win the $400,000 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) March 23 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The daughter of Alternation was 4 1/2 lengths clear at the wire in her 2019 debut and has trained forwardly for the 1 1/16-mile Oaks in New Orleans.
"She hasn't missed a step. Everything is going well," said trainer Tom Amoss. "We have her just where we want her to be; we're waiting on Saturday."
A two-time stakes winner last season, which included a runaway 19 1/2-length score in the Sept. 15 Pocahontas Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs, the filly closed out 2018 with an off-the-board finish in the Nov. 2 Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The table was set for Serengeti Empress' seasonal debut; Amoss was coy, but his filly broke sharp and never looked back.
"I think I cold-watered myself," Amoss said with a laugh. "Training horses up off a layoff ... it's a bit of a gray area. She was more ready to run than I recognized."
Serengti Empress has worked a pair of moderate half-mile breezes in March at the Louisiana track. Veteran rider James Graham will have the mount from post 2.
Bred by Tri Eques Bloodstock, Serengeti Empress was a $70,000 purchase by Politi from Brookdale's consignment at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The filly had been a $25,000 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale weanling. Amoss is hopeful she's a legit threat for the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
"It's one step at a time, but the Fair Grounds Oaks is in my hometown and I was blessed enough to win it last year (with Chocolate Martini) for the first time and that was such a thrill," Amoss said. "We've haven't looked beyond that point, but we definitely want to run in the Kentucky Oaks, if we show we have the kind of horse that deserves to be there."
Six other 3-year-old fillies passed the entry box for the Fair Grounds Oaks, run as the race before the day's main event—the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). The second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers behind Serengeti Empress in the Rachel Alexandra will try their hands again at the frontrunning filly.
Coffeepot Stables' Liora, winner of the Nov. 24 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill, was second in the Rachel Alexandra. Trainer Wayne Catalano, who won the 2017 Fair Grounds Oaks with Farrell, has sharpened the daughter of Candy Ride up with a March 12 five-furlong move in 1:00 4/5.
Ed Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's homebred Eres Tu, was third in the Rachel Alexandra, 1 1/4 lengths behind Liora. Trainer Steve Amussen has given her four works since. The Malibu Moon filly will partner with Jose Ortiz from post 6.
Fourth-place finisher Street Band will also have to up her game. The filly worked five-furlongs in 1:00 1/5 for trainer Larry Jones March 18.
New players include stakes-placed Sweet Diane, a $130,000 Keeneland September sale grad and daughter of first-crop sire Will Take Charge for trainer Michael Stidham; Louisiana-bred stakes winner Crescentcitypretty, a daughter of Bernardini who has two wins at Delta Downs; and Southern California shippers Speedette, a maiden winner on turf Jan. 21, and two-time winner Slewgoodtobetrue.
With considerable competition and points towards the Road to the Kentucky Oaks on the line, Amoss said he had already sized up the competition.
"As much as anything, when I'm looking at a race with (Serengeti Empress), she's one of those rare horses where I look beyond the competition and look at more at how the race is going to set up," Amoss said. "I think everybody knows our girl is going to try to go the front and control things from there. When the entries came out I was looking at what horses had the kind of speed that might present a problem. I like what I see in terms of how the race sets up."
The Fair Grounds Oaks awards 100-40-20-10 points to the top four finishers toward entry into the Kentucky Oaks. Notable fillies to capture the Fair Grounds Oaks-Kentucky Oaks double include Untapable (2014), Believe You Can (2012), Rachel Alexandra (2009), Proud Spell (2008), Summerly (2005), Ashado (2004), Silverbulletday (1999), and Blushing K.D. (1997).
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, March 23, 2019, Race 12Entries: Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Speedette (KY)
Corey J. Lanerie
122
J. Keith Desormeaux
10/1
2
2Serengeti Empress (KY)
James Graham
122
Thomas M. Amoss
6/5
3
3Street Band (KY)
Sophie Doyle
122
J. Larry Jones
8/1
4
4Sweet Diane (KY)
Joe Bravo
122
Michael Stidham
8/1
5
5Crescentcitypretty (LA)
Miguel Mena
122
Tyron Benoit
15/1
6
6Eres Tu (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
122
Steven M. Asmussen
6/1
7
7Slewgoodtobetrue (SC)
Florent Geroux
122
Peter Eurton
8/1
8
8Liora (KY)
Channing Hill
122
Wayne M. Catalano
5/1
