At least one winning streak will come to an end Saturday in the Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) when Lady Tak and Atlantic Ocean put their marks on the line in the 1 1/8-mile race.
Lady Tak is unbeaten in four starts, including easy wins in the Thelma and Tiffany Lass Stakes. Owned by Heiligbrodt Racing Stable, Lady Tak skipped the Silverbulletday Stakes (gr. II).
Installed as the 7-5 morning line favorite, Lady Tak will break from the fourth position under Donnie Meche.
The Thoroughbred Corp's Atlantic Ocean brings a three-race winning streak from the West Coast to New Orleans for trainer Bob Baffert.
Atlantic Ocean's three-race winning streak includes a pair of grade III victories in California. David Flores gets the mount aboard Atlantic Ocean, who enters the race with five wins from 10 career starts.
Looking to upset both Lady Tak and Atlantic Ocean is Belle of Perintown, under jockey Calvin Borel. Belle of Perintown is the 5-2 third choice. Belle of Perintown enters the Oaks off a victory the Silverbulletday Stakes.
Trainer Bret Calhoun will saddle the coupled entry of Afternoon Dreams and Rebridled Dreams, the second and third place finishers, respectively, in the Silverbulletday.
Lovely Sage, who will be making her stakes debut and her first trip around two turns, will likely be the longest price in the short field. Lovely Sage is trainer TomAmoss' first Oaks starter since saddling Playcaller to a sixth-place finish in 1994.
The field for Saturday's Fair Grounds Oaks includes:
1 -- Afternoon Dreams (Eddie Martin, Jr., 121, 12/1)
1A -- Rebridled Dreams (Willie Martinez, 121, 12/1)
2 -- Belle of Perintown (Calvin Borel, 121, 5/2)
3 -- Lady Tak (Donnie Meche, 121, 7/5)
4 -- Atlantic Ocean (David Flores, 121, 8/5)
5 -- Lovely Sage (Corey Lanerie, 121, 12/1)
