Familiar Foes Face-Off in Fair Grounds Oaks

By Rick Francis —-

Classy Act; Hodges Photography

Race 10) 1&1/16th Mile. Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks OM FAIR GROUNDS OAKS. Grade II. Purse $400,000 FOR FILLIES THREE YEARS OLD
Post Time: 5:41/( 4:41)/ 3:41/ 2:41

A field of nine three-year-old fillies are slated to go in the 51st running of the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks, each with an eye towards the winner’s share of the 400k purse and more importantly, a starting berth in the 144th edition of the Kentucky Oaks.

Trainer Bret Calhoun sends out a pair of strong contenders in CLOSING ACT (1), who battled gamely to place in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra, and stable partner PATRONA MARGARITA (5), a winner of the G2 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs last September.

Threatening from the outside will be Gary Barber’s WONDER GADOT (8), conditioned by Mark Casse this daughter of Medaglia d’Oro missed by a neck two back in the Silverbulletday and stayed on for third in the Rachel; Hall of Fame rider Johnny Velazquez returns for the ride.

Tom Amoss trained CHOCOLATE MARTINI (9) enters off a gut-check victory here over OC’s, and with a last out winner hits at a 28 percent rate.

Dangerous ESKIMO KISSES (4), trained by Kenny McPeek will break from the middle and comes in with a 2-race win streak.

The field from the rail:

Classy Act (1), Calhoun/Castellano

SELECTIONS: 1, 8, 4, 5