First Oaks Win of Year on Line in Tropical Park

A group of newly minted 3-year-old fillies, highlighted by a trio of Florida-breds, will take the gate Jan. 1 for the $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks at Calder Race Course, going 1 1/16-miles on the turf.

Leading the way in the over subscribed field of 12 entries plus three also eligible is Florida-bred Dansetta Light, who will break from gate three under jockey John Velazquez. David Brownlee is the trainer.

JD Farms' Dansetta Light enters the race with a record of 4-1-0 from nine starts, most recently scoring a length win in the Georgia Debutante Stakes at Calder. The daughter of Colony Light, out of the At the Threshold mare Dolly's Back, also has black-type wins in the Brave Raj and Lindsey Frolic Stakes.

Giving Dansetta Light a tough challenge should be another Florida-bred, Rich in Spirit (by Repriced), most recently the winner of the John Franks Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes. A homebred for Glen Hill Farm, Rich in Spirit has three wins in five starts with trainer Thomas Procter.

Add Leona's Knight's name to the list of tough Florida-bred fillies that will challenge Dansetta Light and Rich in Spirit. Trained by Barry Rose for the Rose Family Stable, Leona's Knight has a record of 3-0-2 from nine starts as a juvenile.

The daughter of Suave Prospect most recently scored in the Three Ring Stakes after being off since a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Florida Stallion My Dear Girl Stakes in late October. Prior to that, Leona's Knight finished third, behind Dansetta Light, in the Brave Raj Stakes.

The field for Saturday's $100,000 Tropical Park Oaks includes:
1 -- Mortgage the House (Manoel Cruz, 111)
2 -- Silver Stage (Edurado Nunez, 116)
3 -- Dansetta Light (John Velazquez, 118)
4 -- Miami Princess (Eddie Castro, 116)
5 -- Gemilli (Cornelio Velasquez, 111)
6 -- Rich in Spirit (Javier Castellano, 118)
7 -- Brazilian (Christopher DeCarlo, 111)
8 -- Stavinsky's Gal (Jose Santos, 111)
9 -- Dynamite Lass (Eibar Coa, 116)
10 -- Goldiscolt (Huber Villa-Gomez, 116)
11 -- Leona's Knight (Carlos Olivero, 118)
12 -- Southern Serenity (Irwin Rosendo, 116)
AE -- Dynamist (Jerry Bailey, 111)
AE -- Royal Bean (Kieren Fallon, 111)
AE -- Gentle Breeze (Brice Blanc, 111)