Bellafina Will Have Pace to Chase in Kentucky Oaks

Kaleem Shah's Bellafina, an oversized daughter of Quality Road , cast a large shadow over the draw for the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) even though she hadn't yet arrived in Kentucky.

A winner of her three 2019 starts in Southern California and a three-time grade 1 winner, Bellafina drew post 4 for the 1 1/8-mile Oaks and was made the strong 2-1 morning-line favorite in the 14-horse field. Scratch time is 9 a.m. EDT Friday.

The Oaks, worth $1.25 million, offers $705,520 to the winner at Churchill Downs if a full field of 3-year-old fillies goes to the post at 6:12 p.m. Friday. Peter Brant's Dunbar Road (5-1) and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing's Point of Honor (30-1) are on the also-eligible list.

Bred in Kentucky by Joe Minor's JSM Equine, Bellafina has ruled the roost on the West Coast since last summer. The lone blemish on her 6-1-0 record in eight starts came under the Twin Spires in November, when she was fourth as the 9-5 favorite in the Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) behind Jaywalk, Restless Rider, and Vibrance. The top pair return in the Oaks, where familiar faces abound. Ten of the 14 projected starters have raced at Churchill Downs.

Based on the past performances, plenty prefer to be on the lead, or very close to the front, making the early pace scenario for the Oaks a tricky one to handicap.

Perhaps the sharpest early speed will come from Dr. Joel Politi's Serengeti Empress. With Jose Ortiz aboard, she'll have to hustle from post 13 to get over toward the rail.

Trained by Tom Amoss, Serengeti Empress was a resounding winner of the Pocahontas Stakes (G2) in Louisville last fall and won the Feb. 16 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) by 4 1/2 lengths at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in wire-to-wire fashion. However, she bled in the TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), finishing last of seven behind Street Band.

Serengeti Empress got in a final work April 23—a zippy :58 1/5, and scoped clean after. The following day Amoss said: "It's a go in this race, with lots of confidence. She came out of the workout in good shape. She ate all of her dinner last night, and she's bouncy this morning. So I think she's ready to perform."

She figures to have company up front from Commonwealth Stable's Out for a Spin, a 52-1 winner of the April 6 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1), who drew the rail; Mark Dedomenico's Motion Emotion, from post 8; and perhaps Jaywalk from post 7.

D. J. Stable and Chuck Zacney's Cash is King's Jaywalk won the Breeders' Cup on the front end, but her connections are not convinced last year's champion 2-year-old filly needs to be on the lead to be successful.

"You can point to several horses in here that are going to want to be on or near the front," said Jon Green, son of D. J. Stable principal Leonard Green. "I don't think Jaywalk's just limited to be in front to be successful. You can point to a couple of races, albeit against easier company, in her past where you would say she wasn't in front at the first or second call and was still successful."

Jaywalk has made two starts in 2019 for trainer John Servis, who won the 2016 Oaks with Cathryn Sophia. Her last prep was a third-place finish behind Out for a Spin and Restless Rider in the Ashland.

Restless Rider, trained by Kenny McPeek for Three Chimneys Farm and Paul Fireman's Fern Circle Stables, drew the outside 14 post. Her stalking style should allow her to get over and get a solid position while not having to press the pace.

Restless Rider, by Distorted Humor , is a solid 6-1 on the morning line and is a pair of photo finishes away from perhaps being the favorite. After finishing second in the Breeders' Cup, she was beaten a nose in Churchill Downs' Golden Rod Stakes (G2) to finish a six-race juvenile campaign. Given time, she made her 2019 bow in the Ashland and missed by a neck going 1 1/16 miles.

"We were second from post 14 with Daddys Lil Darling (in the 2017 Oaks)," McPeek said. "I wasn't thrilled with (the draw), but we'll leave that up to (jockey) Brian (Hernandez Jr.). I do think there is enough pace in the race that it gives her a chance to tuck in. Running from 14 ... you could have a ugly trip or a smooth one."

Also at 6-1 is Champagne Anyone, a daughter of Street Sense  racing for Louisville native Randy Bloch and Brad Stephens' Six Column Stables. Trained by Ian Wilkes, Champagne Anyone has progressed through the Oaks prep races at Gulfstream Park this winter, and emerged as the winner of the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). Regular rider Chris Landeros will be aboard.

Out in post 12 will be Street Band, a homebred for Larry and Cindy Jones, Ray Francis, Medallion Racing, and MyRacehorse.com. Street Band popped up in the Fair Grounds Oaks, drawing clear of Liora by 3 3/4 lengths. Larry Jones is always a threat in the Oaks, having won it three times: 2008 (Proud Spell), 2012 (Believe You Can), and 2015 (Lovely Maria).

Entries: Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1)

Churchill Downs, Friday, May 03, 2019, Race 11

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $1,250,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 6:12 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Out for a Spin (VA)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Dallas Stewart	15/1
2	2Chocolate Kisses (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	121	Mark E. Casse	20/1
3	3Lady Apple (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Steven M. Asmussen	20/1
4	4Bellafina (KY)	Flavien Prat	121	Simon Callaghan	2/1
5	5Flor de La Mar (KY)	Joel Rosario	121	Bob Baffert	20/1
6	6Positive Spirit (KY)	Manuel Franco	121	Rodolphe Brisset	30/1
7	7Jaywalk (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	John C. Servis	8/1
8	8Motion Emotion (KY)	Mike E. Smith	121	Thomas L. Van Berg	15/1
9	9Liora (KY)	Channing Hill	121	Wayne M. Catalano	20/1
10	10Champagne Anyone (KY)	Chris Landeros	121	Ian R. Wilkes	6/1
11	11Jeltrin (KY)	Luis Saez	121	Alexis Delgado	15/1
12	12Street Band (KY)	Sophie Doyle	121	J. Larry Jones	15/1
13	13Serengeti Empress (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Thomas M. Amoss	8/1
14	14Restless Rider (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	121	Kenneth G. McPeek	6/1
15	15Dunbar Road (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Chad C. Brown	5/1
16	16Point of Honor (KY)	John R. Velazquez	121	George Weaver	20/1