Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) hopeful fillies Daisy Devine, Plum Pretty, and Holy Heavens all posted workouts during a busy morning at Churchill Downs April 26.
With jockey James Graham up, Daisy Devine was the fastest of 25 horses at the five-furlong distance when she covered it in :59 3/5 in company with stablemate Skylord , who completed the distance in 1:00-flat. Starting two lengths back and finishing even, Daisy Devine’s splits were :12 1/5, :24, :35 4/5, and :47 3/5. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:14 and seven furlongs in 1:29 3/5.
Daisy Devine, a daughter of Kafwain —Devil’s Dispute, by Devil's Bag, most recently captured the March 26 Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) for owner James Miller and trainer Andrew McKeever.
Plum Pretty, the 25-length winner of the March 27 Sunland Park Oaks, worked seven furlongs in 1:28 2/5 in company with stablemate Gilded Gem, who tragically broke down crossing the finish line after six furlongs and had to be euthanized due to her injuries.
Trained by Bob Baffert for John Fort’s Peachtree Stables, Plum Pretty’s splits were :12 1/5, :24 4/5, :37 1/5, :48 4/5, and 1:14 4/5.
Plum Pretty, who was working for the first time on the Churchill Downs dirt, finished third in both the Santa Ynez (gr. II) and Las Virgenes (gr. I) earlier this year. Bred in Pennsylvania by Silent Indy Stables and DDS Stables, Plum Pretty is by Medaglia d'Oro , out of the A.P. Indy mare Liszy.
Gaines-Gentry Thoroughbreds and Serengeti Stable's 5-year-old homebred mare Gilded Gem won the Las Flores (gr. III) on April 2 in her last start. The daughter of Smarty Jones --Golden Jewel Box, by Slew o' Gold was 4-4-0 from 10 starts and earnings of $223,800.
Holy Heavens, a newbie to the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) picture, worked five furlongs in 1:03 3/5 with Kent Desormeaux in the irons. Her splits were :13 1/5, :26 1/5, :38 2/5, and :50 3/5, and she galloped out six furlongs in 1:19.
Trained by Benard Chatters, the daughter of Holy Bull—Heavens Passport, by Awesome Again is campaigned as a homebred for Drs. K.K. and Vilasini D. Jayaraman. Holy Heavens won the Feb. 12 Martha Washington at Oaklawn Park and placed in both the Honeybee (gr. III) and Fantasy (gr. II) at the Arkansas track.