(Edited press release)
Co-owner Mark Hoffman walked his Ashland Stakes (gr. I) hopeful Hooh Why at Keeneland the morning of March 31, a day after the Cloud Hopping filly worked a half-mile in :49.60.
“She came out of the work great and will go back to the track and jog in the morning,” Hoffman said. “She couldn’t be coming into the race any better.”
In other Ashland-related news, Stardom Bound returned to the track and jogged a mile under Nuno Santos. The champion juvenile filly of 2008 worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 the morning of March 29 at Keeneland.
Dream Empress, winner of last fall’s Darley Alcibiades (gr. I), galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Jessica Stith. Trainer Ken McPeek is scheduled to be in Lexington April 2, according to assistant Jordan Blair.
Scheduled to arrive March 31 from California for the Ashland (which will be run April 4) were J. Paul Reddam’s Nan, and Dawn and Ike Thrash’s Third Dawn.
Nan, trained by Craig Dollase, had her final pre-Ashland work March 28 at Hollywood Park, covering six furlongs in 1:11.20. It was the fastest work of 22 at the distance. Dollase saddled Elloluv to win the 2003 Ashland.
Third Dawn, trained by John Sadler, worked seven furlongs in 1:26.60 at Santa Anita March 28.