Helen Groves’ And Why Not fired a bullet in her half-mile work April 28 at Churchill Downs in preparation for the May 4 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
Trained by Michael Matz, And Why Not clocked her four furlongs in :46 4/5, the fastest of 47 of the day at the distance. She was one of five 3-year-old fillies on the worktab under the Twin Spires six days prior to the Oaks.
Alex G. Campbell Jr.’s Karlovy Vary, fresh off a score over the Polytrack in Keeneland’s Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I), rattled off five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 over a fast main.
Other Oaks fillies on the work tab were Amie's Dini (five furlongs in 1:05 2/5), Eden's Moon (six furlongs in 1:14), and Livi Makenzie (six furlongs in 1:14 2/5). Amie’s Dini and Livi Makenzie are trained by Ron Moquett.
And Why Not broke her maiden first-time out last August at Saratoga Race Course and is winless since while racing exclusively in grade I and grade II company. She was third in the Spinaway Stakes (gr. I) last summer and second in the Pocahontas Stakes (gr. II) at Churchill Downs last fall. In her lone start this season the daughter of Street Cry—Alchemist, by A.P. Indy, finished seventh March 31 in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II).
“The filly has done very well. She obviously needed that race and was not fit enough, but we were running out of time,” Matz said of the Gulfstream Park Oaks. “Unfortunately, we used the race as a prep and I think between the race and tracks being different, I think it should help her out an awful lot.”
The work was her first since shipping north. She was clocked in splits of :12, :23 3/5, and :35. She galloped out five furlongs in :59 4/5.
“I thought the filly worked real well. She looked good. Peter said she worked well and galloped out good,” Matz said. “She ran a real good race here in the Pocahontas.”
Karlovy Vary’s splits were :13, :25 /25, and :36 4/5. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:15 3/5.
A homebred daughter of Dynaformer—The Right Pew, by Pulpit, Karlovy Vary is trained by Rusty Arnold. Prior to her Ashland score, she won an allowance/optional claiming race on the turf at Gulfstream Park Feb. 26. She sports a 3-0-1 mark from six starts. Her lone dirt start was a seventh-place finish behind On Fire Baby in Churchill’s Golden Rod Stakes (gr. II) last November.
“I was going to wait until 8:30 to work, but I ran into some rain coming over here from Lexington, so we went early,” said Arnold, who sent out two winners on the April 27 closing day card at Keeneland. “I told him to go in 1:01 and that’s what he did. It was a good work.”
Mike Walker and Lou Sutterfield’s Amie’s Dini (Bandini—Run Kate Run, by Cherokee Run), the runner-up in both Fantasy (gr. II) and Honeybee (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park, worked in company with 3-year-old Cahoots. Amie’s Dini started one back of her workmate and was timed in :14, :27 1/5, :40 4/5, and :53 1/5. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:18 4/5.
“Perfect. But everybody says ‘perfect,’ right?” Moquett said. “But it was. I wanted to go steady 13s and relax. There is going to be a lot of speed in the Oaks and I want to put the race in the rider’s hands. She can go :58 or 1:05. I am trying to come in with a fresh horse.”
He said Amie's Dini will have some paddock schooling in the coming week but will not visit the gate.
“If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it,” Moquett said of visiting the gate.
Eden’s Moon, winner of Santa Anita’s Las Virgenes Stakes (gr. I) in her 2012 debut and third in the Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I) March 31, got splits of :12, :25, :37 3/5, :50 1/5, and 1:02. The daughter of Malibu Moon out of the Giant's Causeway mare Eden’s Causeway is owned by Kaleem Shah and is trained by Bob Baffert. Baffert won last year’s Oaks with Plum Pretty and 1999 Oaks with Hall of Fame member Silverbulletday.
“She was by herself, just cruised around there and worked nice,” Baffert said.
Livi Makenzie, a daughter of Macho Uno out of Greta’s Joy, by Joyeaux Dancer, recorded splits of :12 2/5, :24 1/5, :36 2/5, and :48 4/5. She galloped out seven furlongs in 1:29. She races for B J D Thoroughbreds and was third last time out in the seven furlong, 184-feet Beaumont Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland.
At Palm Meadows Training Center, Broadway's Alibi and In Lingerie each worked a half-mile in :48 2/5 over a sloppy track at Palm Meadows April 28.
Following the workout, trainer Todd Pletcher said a decision has yet to be made on whether E. Paul Robsham Stables’ Broadway’s Alibi will join Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber’s In Lingerie in the Kentucky Oaks.
In Lingerie, a six-length winner of the Bourbonette Oaks (gr. III) at Turfway Park, is scheduled to ship from the Boynton Beach, Fla., training center to Churchill Downs May 1.
