Octave and Mistical Plan are set for a rematch in the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I) April 7, going 1 1/16 miles over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland Race Course.
In addition to Octave and Mistical Plan, seven other fillies, including High Again and Christmas Kid, are expected in the starting gate.
Octave and Mistical Plan last met in the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) March 10 when California-invader Mistical Plan got the better of her East Coast rival Octave, defeating her by 3 1/4 lengths down the long Fair Grounds stretch.
For Octave, the Fair Grounds Oaks was her first start of 2007 after finishing second, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, by subsequent juvenile filly champion Dreaming of Anna in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) Nov. 4. Mistical Plan entered the race in the Crescent City after finishing third in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 6, and winning the Sunshine Million Oaks Jan. 27.
Trainer Todd Pletcher conditions Octave for Jack Wolf's Starlight Stable and Donald Lucarelli. Octave (Unbridled's Song- Belle Nuit, by Dr. Carter) will have the services of jockey Garret Gomez and will break from post five.
Doug O'Neill trains Mistical Plan (Game Plan-Mistical Bel, by Bel Bolide) for J. Paul Reddam. Breaking from post two, Robby Albarado gets the call.
High Again and Christmas Kid should prove to be interesting challenges for both Octave and Mistical Plan.
High Again, a daughter of High Yield out of the Olympion mare Miss Belle O, was all out to register a half-length win over Ashland-rival Christmas Kid in the Bonnie Miss Stakes (gr. II) after Christmas Kid got the better of her-- defeating her by four lengths-- one start earlier in the Davona Dale Stakes (gr. II).
Bill Mott conditions High Again for Zayat Stables. Julien Leparoux get the call, with the pair breaking from post eight.
Christmas Kid (Lemon Drop Kid -Christmas Gift, by Green Desert) races for Edward P. Evans under the care of trainer Jimmy Jerkens. Rene Douglas has the mount with the pair breaking from post six.
The field for the April 7 $500,000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I):
1-- Elitist (William Troilo)
2-- Mistical Plan (Robby Albarado)
3-- Dawn After Dawn (Shaun Bridgmohan)
4-- Grace Happens (James Graham)
5-- Octave (Garrett Gomez)
6-- Christmas Kid (Rene Douglas)
7-- Hucking Hot (Rafael Bejarano)
8-- High Again (Julien Leparoux)
9-- Silver Knockers (Jeremy Rose)
