Grade I winners Tamarando and We Miss Artie head the list of probables for the $550,000 Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral Stakes (gr. III) March 22 at Turfway Park.
The field for the $125,000 Pure Romance Bourbonette Oaks (gr. III) for fillies, to run the same day, also is taking shape, with Swiss Lake Yodeler topping the likely runners list.
Both the Spiral and Bourbonette Oaks are respective qualifiers for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), with qualifying points to be awarded on a 50-20-10-5 basis. The Spiral is run at 1 1/8 miles and the Oaks is contested at one mile, both on the track's synthetic Polytrack surface. A maximum of 12 horses may enter each race. Entries will be drawn Wednesday, March 19.
Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer trains both Tamarando and Swiss Lake Yodeler for Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams.
With $625,120 in earnings and 10 starts, Tamarando is one of the most experienced horses expected for the Spiral. Eight of those races came in his 2-year-old season, which he finished with three wins, including the 2012 Del Mar Futurity (gr. I), one second, and three thirds.
"He's been very sound, and he was doing everything we asked him to do," said Hollendorfer, "so we ran him. He fits in this race. It looks like a good spot."
In his first start this year, Tamarando was second to the impressive California Chrome in the state-restricted California Cup Derby at Santa Anita Park. The Bertrando colt subsequently won the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) Feb. 15, coming wide with his trademark big late run to get up by a half length over multiple grade I-placed runner Dance With Fate.
Tamarando had his final pre-Spiral work March 16 on the Tapeta surface at Golden Gate Fields, covering seven furlongs in 1:28 flat. Russell Baze was aboard for the first time for the El Camino Real and is expected to ride Saturday.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey's We Miss Artie won last year's Dixiana Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) and began 2014 with a runner-up finish in the Kitten's Joy Stakes Jan. 19 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Todd Pletcher. The Artie Schiller colt will look to rebound from an unplaced finish in the Besilu Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) Feb. 22.
Listed in order of preference, probables for the Spiral Stakes (with owner/trainer) are:
Tamarando (Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams/Jerry Hollendorfer)
We Miss Artie (Ken and Sarah Ramsey/Todd Pletcher)
Solitary Ranger (Susan Moulton/Wayne Catalano)
Asserting Bear (Bear Stables Ltd./Reade Baker)
Coastline (John C. Oxley/Mark Casse)
Harry's Holiday (Skychai Racing LLC and Terry Raymond/Mike Maker)
Arctic Slope (Shortleaf Stable Inc./Ken McPeek)
Big Bazinga (Derby Dreamers Racing Stable/Katerina Vassilieva)
All Tied Up (Dogwood Stable/Todd Pletcher)
Almost Famous (Chuck and Maribeth Sandford LLC/Pat Byrne)
Smart Cover (Donegal Racing/Dale Romans)
Tourist (WinStar Farm LLC/Bill Mott)
Other horses are still under consideration.
In Swiss Lake Yodeler, Hollendorfer also has the most accomplished filly expected for the Bourbonette Oaks. Twice a winner at two in state- and gender-restricted stakes, Swiss Lake Yodeler tried turf for the first time in the California Oaks on Jan. 25 and finished well off the board, her only unplaced finish in six career starts. The Swiss Yodeler filly comes in to the Bourbonette Oaks off a third-place finish in the San Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) on dirt March 1 at Santa Anita.
"We wanted to get her back on synthetics," Hollendorfer said.
Swiss Lake Yodeler had her final work on Sunday at Santa Anita, going five furlongs in 1:00.40, ranking 16th of 58 moves at the distance.
Hollendorfer's runners will ship to Turfway on March 19. The trainer will arrive March 21.
In order of preference, probables for the Bourbonette Oaks (with owner/trainer) are:
Swiss Lake Yodeler (Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Williams/ Jerry Hollendorfer)
Zensational Bunny (Gary Barber/Mark Casse)
Le Mejor Fiesta (Ice Wine Stable/Wesley Ward)
Katie's Eyes (Ike and Dawn Thrash and Janet and Sam Alley/Grant Forster)
Shanon Nicole (Connie Apostelos/Mike Maker)
Super Sky (Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners/Todd Pletcher)
Cheerful Contender (Debby M. Oxley/Mark Casse)
Stormy Novel (Cam Allard/John Servis)
Paloma P (Monticule LLC/Eric Reed)
Sloane Square (Michael Tabor/Todd Pletcher)
Turtle River (Stonereath Farm/Ben Colebrook)
Itsreigningkittens (Ken and Sarah Ramsey/Mike Maker)
Others fillies remain under consideration for the Bourbonette Oaks.
