Oaklawn Barn Notes: Power Gal Ready to Take Next Step in Honeybee Stakes

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Power Gal; Oaklawn Park Photos

Power Gal Ready to Take Next Step in Honeybee Stakes

After winning the $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes Feb. 2 with Power Gal, trainer Mark Casse is scheduled to have more horsepower in the $200,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Oaklawn.

In addition to Power Gal, Casse entered the well-bred Chocolate Kisses, a first-level allowance winner on the turf Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds in her 3-year-old debut. Owned by Debby Oxley, Chocolate Kisses has authored a 2-1-1 record from six lifetime starts after being purchased for $410,000 as a yearling. Chocolate Kisses, in her only graded stakes start, finished fourth in the $400,000 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) Oct. 5 at Keeneland. Both of her victories have come on turf.

“She’s a filly that I think is nice,” Casse said Wednesday morning. “I worked her this fall at Churchill, I guess, before the Alcibiades. I thought she worked as good as any 2-year-old filly I’ve ever had in Kentucky I thought she had a really good shot to win the Alcibiades. She got a very bad post. She got bothered going into the first turn. If you watch her race, she was the only horse to close. I thought she ran exceptionally well. She ran so well that we flirted with the idea of running her in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Instead, Chocolate Kisses resurfaced in another dirt race – $103,200 Rags to Riches Stakes Oct. 28 at Churchill Downs – but hopped at the start and unseated Julien Leparoux. Casse said Chocolate Kisses came out of the race with a foot injury.

“Ripped part of her quarter off,” Casse said. “It took us a long time to get her back. We had her down at the Fair Grounds and the grass race came up. I just thought it would be a nice first race back.”

Chocolate Kisses, a daughter of Candy Ride, returns to dirt racing after recording four works at Fair Grounds. The drills included a 5-furlong bullet (:59.60) Feb. 16.

Chocolate Kisses is a half-sister to Synchrony, a multiple graded stakes winner on turf for trainer Michael Stidham. Synchrony ran in Oaklawn’s first two Kentucky Derby points races in 2016, finishing third in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and sixth in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel.

Chocolate Kisses and Synchrony are out of the Von Hemel-trained Brownie Points, winner of the $50,000 Martha Washington Stakes in 2006 and second to future Horse of the Year Zenyatta in the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) in 2008 at Oaklawn.

Power Gal earned 10 points toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks with her Martha Washington victory. The 1 1/16-mile Honeybee is another Kentucky Oaks prep, offering 85 points to the top four finishers (50-20-10-5). The Honeybee is the final major local prep for the $500,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 12.

The Iceman Cometh?

Lightly raced Frosted Ice remains under consideration for the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 16, trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs said Thursday morning.

Bred and owned by Catherine Adams Hutt, Frosted Ice has won 2 of 3 career starts, including the $150,000 Bertram F. Bongard Stakes for New York-breds Sept. 21 at Belmont Park in his final race at 2. The gray son of Bellamy Road has had two published workouts this year at Oaklawn in advance of his 3-year-old debut.

“We’re going to work this weekend, depending on weather, and that tells us whether or not we make the Rebel,” Moquett said. “If he works well and does everything the right way, then we’re going. And if the fitness is good, we’re going. If not, then we’ll wait and try to go to an allowance race.”

Oaklawn President Louis Cella said Wednesday afternoon the track was prepared to split the Rebel, a move that came a day after Santa Anita announced it was suspending racing indefinitely because of poor weather and track conditions. Santa Anita was scheduled to run the $500,000 San Felipe Stakes (G2), a major Kentucky Derby prep, Saturday.

If the Rebel is split, each division will carry a purse of $750,000, and each division will offer 63.75 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

“It’s going to be a tough, tough race before,” Moquett said. “It’s going to be two tough races. That’s great for gamblers. If you’re a fan of the sport, that’s pretty cool because you’re going to get to see a lot of horses from here move on to the Derby.”

Oaklawn hasn’t split one of its Kentucky Derby prep races since the Southwest Stakes (G3) in 2012. The 1 1/16-mile Southwest originally carried a purse of $250,000 that year, but it was split after 21 horses were entered Each division was worth $250,000.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert swept both races, with Castaway winning the first division (11 horses) and Secret Circle the second division (10 horses).

Churchill Downs has used a points system in designated races to help determine Kentucky Derby starting eligibility since 2013. Graded stakes earnings had been used since 1986.

Finish Lines

The track was rated fast for workouts Thursday morning. … M G Warrior, a Jan. 26 allowance winner, worked a half-mile in company in :47.80 after the renovation break Thursday morning for trainer Dallas Stewart. M G Warrior, 10th in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses Feb. 18, breezed with his 3-year-old half-sister, Takechargmatriarch, who finished second in a maiden special weights sprint earlier on the Presidents Day card. Takechargmatriarch also went in :47.80. … Also working after the break Thursday morning was Grade 3 winner Matrooh, who covered 6 furlongs from the gate in 1:13.80. … Lookin At Lee, runner-up in the 2017 Kentucky Derby, is scheduled to make his 2019 debut in Saturday’s eighth race for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. Also entered in the allowance race is High North, winner of the $150,000 Northern Spur Stakes for 3-year-olds last year at Oaklawn. … Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Whitmore is scheduled to make his 2019 debut in Saturday’s seventh race, the $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes for older sprinters, while his 3-year-old half-sister, Kid Sis, is entered in Saturday’s 10th race, a maiden special weights sprint. Both horses drew the rail and have been stabled next to each other in the Count Fleet barn for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. … Trainer Paul Holthus of Hot Springs entered Friday with 96 career Oaklawn victories, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.