Trio of Oaks Fillies Work at Churchill Downs

A trio of fillies bound for the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) hit the Churchill Downs oval Friday morning in preparation for the May 5 race.

Top Notch Lady went five furlongs in 1:01, while Itty Bitty Pretty and Quiet Kim worked six furlongs in 1:17 and 1:12.80, respectively.

"She did really well," said Mark Casse, who conditions Top Notch Lady for Robert J. Wilson. "She was working by herself so she was a little lonely, but it was a good useful work."

Exercise rider Jose Castanon was up for the work and jockey Patrick Husbands has the mount in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Casse said Top Notch Lady, winner of the Bourbonette Breeders' Cup (gr. III) in her lone start of 2006, will gallop up to the race.

Itty Bitty Pretty, with exercise rider Raul Vizcarrando aboard, went six furlongs in 1:17, in what trainer Paul McGee called "a good maintenance work." McGee is overseeing the training of the daughter of El Corredor for Southern California-based trainer Doug O'Neill who is not scheduled to arrive in Louisville until Oaks day.

"I thought she went just fine," said McGee who has overseen the training of Itty Bitty Pretty since her fourth-place finish in the Ashland Stakes (gr. I). "It (the work) was just something to keep her fit."

Patrick Valenzuela has the mount aboard STD Racing Stable and Jason Wood's Itty Bitty Pretty in the Oaks.

The Bob Hess Jr.-trained Quiet Kim covered six furlongs under exercise rider German Castanon in 1:12.80.

Hess' assistant Gerardo Morales has been overseeing Quiet Kim's training at Churchill Downs.

"Everyone said her work was superb," said Hess from his Southern California base. "We really weren't concerned about time that much, but she did have a very good time, we just wanted her to have a good, strong finish. My assistant said she got over the track really well."

Hess conditions the daughter of Real Quiet for Chris Houchins.