Nancy Mazzoni’s She Be Wild, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) and the champion 2-year-old filly of 2009, and Mark DeDomenico, John Carver and Jerry Hollendorfer’s three-time grade I winner Blind Luck head an impressive roster of 143 3-year-old fillies nominated to compete in Churchill Downs’ 136th running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
The Oaks is scheduled for April 30 and will be televised live on the Bravo Network in partnership with its parent company, NBC Universal. For the second straight year the Oaks will partner with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the world’s largest breast cancer organization, to raise funds to aid in breast cancer awareness and research through events on Kentucky Oaks Day.
Nominations to the Oaks closed Feb. 13, and required a nomination fee of $100. Supplemental nominations to the race will be accepted at the time of entry April 28, for a fee of $25,000. The field for the Kentucky Oaks is restricted to 14 fillies. If a greater number of fillies should be entered, preference will be given to the fillies that have accumulated the highest earnings in graded stakes races.
The 136 Oaks nominations total is down from the 170 fillies nominated to the race a year ago. A record 192 fillies were made eligible for the race in 2007.
The Wayne Catalano-trained She Be Wild wrapped up championship honors at 2 with her three-quarter- length victory in the Breeders' Cup event over synthetic Pro-Ride at Santa Anita. She also won the Arlington-Washington Lassie (gr. III) at Arlington Park and finished second to Sovereign Stable’s Negligee, another Kentucky Oaks nominee, in the Alcibiades (gr. I) at Keeneland.
Blind Luck, a daughter of Pollard's Vision trained by co-owner Hollendorfer, opened her 3-year-old campaign with a narrow victory in the Las Virgenes (gr. I) at Santa Anita. It was the third grade I win for Blind Luck, who also won the Hollywood Starlet and the Oak Leaf at 2. She finished third behind She Be Wild in the Juvenile Fillies.
Other stars of the 3-year-old filly crop nominated to the 2010 Kentucky Oaks include Peter Callahan’s Beautician and Brereton C. Jones’ Biofuel, the second- and fourth-place finishes in the Frizette Stakes (gr. I) to winner Devil May Care; Jerry Romans Jr.’s Sassy Image, winner of Churchill Downs' Golden Rod (gr. II) and Iroquois (gr. III); Grace Stable’s Hot Dixie Chick, winner of Saratoga’s Spinaway (gr. I) and Schuylerville (gr. III); Westrock Stables Decelerator, winner of Churchill Downs’ Debutante (gr. III) and the recent Honeybee at Oaklawn Park; Lori and George Hall’s Forward Gal (gr. II) winner Bickersons; Mark Stanley’s Delta Princess (gr. III) winner Quiet Temper; Silverbulletday (gr. III) and Tiffany Lass winner Jody Slew; IEAH Stables and Whizaway Stables' Santa Ynez (gr. II) winner Amen Hallelujah; C R K Stables’ Switch, who finished third in the Las Virgenes; Starlight Stable’s Ailalea, winner of the Tempted (gr. III); Michael Talla’s Crisp, winner of the Santa Ysabel (gr. III); and Tom and Marilyn Braley’s Evening Jewel, the Santa Ysabel runner-up.
Promising fillies yet to enjoy stakes wins on the list include Michael Imperio and Kona Stable’s Christine Daae; Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Moss’ Cozy Rosie; Juddmonte Farm’s Comic Marvel; Edward Evans' Mambo Fever; and Phipps Stable’s Protesting.
Biofuel and Negligee shared the Sovereign Award that honored Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly of 2009.
Two-time Kentucky Oaks winner Todd Pletcher, who captured the race in 2007 with Rags to Riches and in 2004 with Ashado, nominated a dozen fillies to the Oaks to lead all trainers. Four-time Oaks winner D. Wayne Lukas, Ken McPeek, and John Sadler each nominated six fillies, and Westrock Stables nominated four fillies.