Restless Rider Seconds Away from Oaks Favoritism

Restless Rider, an ultratough daughter of Distorted Humor  racing for Paul Fireman's Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm, has never finished worse than second in seven starts. Her past two races—which resulted in being on the wrong side in photo finishes—are perhaps keeping her from being the favorite for the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Instead, she's a 6-1 chance on the morning line, the co-second choice with Champagne Anyone behind 2-1 favorite Bellafina.

Her 2-year-old season closed Nov. 24 when she dropped a nose decision to fellow Oaks starter Liora in Churchill Downs' 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod Stakes (G2). Given time off, she made her 3-year-old bow April 6 at Keeneland, where she was a neck shy of Out for a Spin in the Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1).

Talk about a game of inches.

"She's always been so genuine," said Chris Baker, COO for Three Chimneys Farm. "She just shows up and tries hard every time. She had a little bit of an excuse in the Golden Rod. She had time and came back, and we knew going into the Ashland that she wasn't 100% primed to give her best effort based on a bit of a shorter preparation coming off the layoff."

Trained by Lexington native Ken McPeek, Restless Rider is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Silky Serenade and was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. Stonestreet, headed by Barbara Banke, is also the breeder of Champagne Anyone (Street Sense —Lucevan, by Ghostzapper ).

Silky Serenade is a half sister to grade 2 winner and sire Private Vow, who ran in the 2006 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1).

Restless Rider was a $150,000 purchase by McPeek, as agent, out of the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

McPeek has trained Fireman's horses for some time, and they've had some success with Senior Investment, winner of the 2017 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3) who ran third in that year's Preakness Stakes (G1).

McPeek is a longtime friend of Goncalo Torrealba, the owner of Three Chimneys, and Restless Rider is a member of a group of yearlings purchased together by Three Chimneys and Fern Circle.

"I've known Goncalo since 2002 or 2003. I originally had some horses for him in 2005," McPeek said. "We always were talking about doing something together, and it came to fruition. This filly is the cream of that crop.

"I enjoy working for him," he continued. "He's a very competitive, very analytical horseman. He's extremely passionate. He's everything you'd want in a client. He's interested at playing at a high level with quality. He wants quality horses, and I, of course, like quality horses, too."

And Restless Rider is a quality horse. With the one start under her belt this year, her connections are hoping she's ready to move forward May 3.

"We feel like that race really set her up to run well. She gained fitness out of that and some confidence," Baker said. "As a prep race, we only had time for one. That did as much as we could do to set her up to run well on Oaks Day.

"I don't think anybody in our camp would trade places with anybody. Our filly is going to run an improved race next time, but we're talking about the Kentucky Oaks, and Bellafina, and the filly out of New Orleans, and Serengeti Empress. … There is a lot to overcome to get it done right."