The Derby Bubble Presented By Kentucky-Breds: A Look At The Oaks Bubble

Pedigree: Justify - Star Act (by Street Cry)
Owner: George Krikorian
Trainer: Bill Mott
Breeder: George Krikorian (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 90

Just F Y I won all three of her starts as a 2-year-old. Two were Grade 1 races, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. It took a while for her to make her 3-year-old debut, but she did so with a strong second in the G1 Ashland at Keeneland. She was wide that day and had every right to need that race after a five-month layoff. Improvement is logical second off the bench, and the kind of effort we know she can put forth would make her a major player in Kentucky.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Just F Y I is a Kentucky homebred for George Krikorian, out of the stakes-placed Street Cry mare Star Act, whose three foals to race are all winners. Her second dam is the Grade 1 winner Starrer, and her extended family features Grade 1 winner Stellar Jayne.

#2: Thorpedo Anna

Pedigree: Fast Anna - Sataves (by Uncle Mo)
Owner: Brookdale Racing, Edwards, Hicks, and Magdalena Racing
Trainer: Ken McPeek
Breeder: Judy Hicks (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 105

Thorpedo Anna, like Just F Y I, took a bit of extra time to get going this year, but her most recent race was spectacular. She crushed her opponents in the G2 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park to earn her third win in four lifetime starts. It’s safe to assume something went awry in last year’s G3 Golden Rod, because we didn’t see her for four months after the race where she suffered her lone defeat to date.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Thorpedo Anna was bred in Kentucky by Judy Hicks, who is a co-owner in the filly, out of unraced Uncle Mo mare Sataves, whose two foals to race are both winners. Grade/Group 1 winners Eskendereya and Balmont are in her extended family.

Thorpedo Anna sold to trainer Kenny McPeek, as agent, for $40,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. Grovendale Sales consigned the filly, as agent.

#3: Leslie’s Rose

Pedigree: Into Mischief - Wildwood Rose (by Galileo)
Owner: Whisper Hill Farm
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Breeder: John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 115

Leslie’s Rose was the “other” Pletcher in the Ashland, as bettors preferred stablemate Candied. However, Leslie’s Rose sat a picture-perfect trip (unlike several of her rivals), and she pounded at the top of the lane to take command and punch her ticket to Kentucky. It was a strong bounce-back performance after a defeat as the 1/5 favorite in the G2 Davona Dale, and we know Pletcher can get 3-year-old fillies ready to go on the first Friday in May (he’s won this race four times).

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Leslie's Rose was bred in Kentucky by John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services, out of the unraced Galileo mare Wildwood Rose, who has had one winner from two foals to race. Wildwood Rose is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Materiality and Grade 2 winner My Miss Sophia, with an extended family that includes Grade 1 winner Annapolis and current Kentucky Derby contender Grand Mo the First.

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm purchased Leslie's Rose for $1.15 million at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Gunther's Glennwood Farm consigned her, as agent.

#4: Tarifa

Pedigree: Bernardini - Kite Beach (by Awesome Again)
Owner: Godolphin
Trainer: Brad Cox
Breeder: Godolphin (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 150

Tarifa tops the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard following her wins in a pair of Grade 2 races at Fair Grounds. She won both the Fair Grounds Oaks and the Rachel Alexandra, and she’s followed her stamina-heavy pedigree by getting better as races get longer. The “who has she beaten?” questions are valid, given the short fields she went up against in Louisiana, but she’s training consistently at Churchill Downs, Cox has won this race twice since 2018, and Godolphin celebrated a win in last year’s Oaks with Pretty Mischievous.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Tarifa is a Kentucky homebred for Godolphin, and she is the first foal out of the unraced Awesome Again mare Kite Beach. Her second dam is the Grade 2 winner Tizdubai, who is herself a full-sister to the great Tiznow. 

#5: Power Squeeze

Pedigree: Union Rags - Callmethesqueeze (by Awesome Again)
Owner: Lea Farms
Trainer: Jorge Delgado
Breeder: Forging Oaks Farm, LLC (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 120

Power Squeeze comes into the Oaks on a four-race win streak, and her last two victories are upsets in stakes races. Two back, she defeated 2/5 favorite Life Talk in the Suncoast at Tampa Bay Downs, and last time out, she was 11-1 when she ran down odds-on chalk Ways and Means in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. She’ll look to end an odd 31-year streak on the first Friday in May, as no winner of the Gulfstream Park Oaks has won the Kentucky Oaks since Dispute in 1993.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Power Squeeze was bred in Kentucky by Forging Oaks Farm, out of the stakes-winning Awesome Again mare Callmethesqueeze, whose three winners from four foals to race also includes stakes winner Call on Mischief. 

Power Squeeze initially sold to Monarch Farms for $50,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, consigned by Eaton Sales. She then sold to Lea Farms for $90,000 at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, consigned by Halcyon Hammock Farm.

#6: Jody’s Pride

Pedigree: American Pharoah - Jody’s Song (by Scat Daddy)
Owner: Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable
Trainer: Jorge Abreu
Breeder: Mr. Steve Weston (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 65

Jody’s Pride was a close-up second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies behind Just F Y I, and her 3-year-old debut was a good one. She won the Busher at Aqueduct, but was then wide throughout in the Ashland and came up empty. If you draw a line through the last-out effort, though, her form looks considerably better, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a bounce-back performance in the Oaks (which would be her third start off the bench).

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Jody's Pride was bred in Kentucky by Steve Weston of co-owner Parkland Thoroughbreds, out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Jody's Song, whose two foals to race are both winners. Grade 1-placed Make Mischief is in her extended family.

#7: Ways and Means

Pedigree: Practical Joke - Strong Incentive (by Warrior’s Reward)
Owner: Klaravich Stables
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Klaravich Stables (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 50

This inclusion assumes Fiona’s Magic, who hasn’t worked in nearly a month, isn’t Kentucky Oaks-bound. If that happens, Ways and Means gets into the Kentucky Oaks field. The lightly-raced filly was off from early-September to late-March, and she came back with a close-up second in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. Given that she’d make her second start off that long layoff in the Kentucky Oaks, and the troubled trips she’s had in two of her three starts, she could absolutely move forward for multiple reasons.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Ways and Means is a Kentucky homebred for Klaravich Stables, out of the stakes-winning Warrior's Reward mare Strong Incentive, whose four foals to race are all winners. Her other foals of note include Grade 1 winner Surge Capacity and Grade 3 winner Highly Motivated.

#8: Where’s My Ring

Pedigree: Twirling Candy - Mapit (by Tapit)
Owner: Michael McMillan
Trainer: Val Brinkerhoff
Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 125

Where’s My Ring went from “maiden” to “graded stakes winner” with her win in the G3 Gazelle at Aqueduct. That effort didn’t come completely out of left field, though. Two back, she was second in the G3 Santa Ysabel behind Kinza, a Bob Baffert trainee that would be fairly high on this list if she was eligible to run. Further back than that, you’ll find a run in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (where she was eighth). Where’s My Ring may not have been going up against the highest-quality field last time out, but it’s also possible she’s coming into her own after eight career outings.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Where's My Ring was bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corp., out of the winning Tapit mare Mapit, whose two foals to race are both winners. Grade 3-placed runners Crystal Glacier and Gold Standard are in her extended family.

Where's My Ring sold to Michael McMillan for $100,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, consigned by Brookdale Sales.

#9: Tapit Jenallie

Pedigree: Tapit - Take Charge Tressa (by War Front)
Owner: Willis Horton Racing
Trainer: Eddie Milligan, Jr.
Breeder: Willis Horton Racing LLC (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 54

Tapit Jenallie started her career with wins at Remington Park and Delta Downs before shipping to Oaklawn Park. It’s there that she’s come into the Oaks picture, and she’s hit the board in a pair of recent prep races. She was second in the G3 Honeybee and third in the Fantasy, and it’s not surprising that she’s gotten better with distance and experience given her stamina-oriented pedigree.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Tapit Jenallie is a Kentucky homebred for Willis Horton Racing, out of the unraced War Front mare Take Charge Tressa, who is the dam of four winners from five foals to race. She is also the dam of stakes-placed Take Charge Briana. 

Take Charge Tressa is a full-sister to Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach and Irish Group 1-placed Courage Under Fire, and she is a half-sister to champion Take Charge Brandi. Her extended family features Tapit Jenallie's third dam is Broodmare of the Year Take Charge Lady, putting her in the family of champion Will Take Charge and Grade 1 winner Take Charge Indy.

#10: Regulatory Risk

Pedigree: Omaha Beach - Walkwithapurpose (by Candy Ride)
Owner: Klaravich Stables
Trainer: Chad Brown
Breeder: Upson Downs Farm & Louis W. Wright (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 55

Regulatory Risk seemed to grow into herself when she was shipped to New York late last year. She broke her maiden at Aqueduct after two failed tries in Kentucky, then tried stakes company twice. She was a non-factor in the Busher after an odd trip, but she rebounded to finish second in the Gazelle and, in doing so, punched her ticket to Kentucky.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Regulatory Risk was bred in Kentucky by Upson Downs and Louis Wright, out of the Grade 2-placed stakes-winning Candy Ride mare Walkwithapurpose, whose seven foals to race are all winner. That list also includes stakes winner Where Paradise Lay and stakes-placed Whispering Pines. Grade 1 winner Schossberg and UAE Group 3 winner Manma Gold can be found further down the page.

Regulatory Risk sold to Ridgewood Bloodstock for $235,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, consigned by co-breeder Upson Downs Farm.

#11: Lemon Muffin

Pedigree: Collected - Pelt (by Canadian Frontier)
Owners: Sones and Gilbert
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Breeder: Mr. & Mrs. Theodore R. Kuster & Collected Syndicate (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 50

D. Wayne Lukas is as aggressive as any high-profile trainer, and sometimes, his gambles pay off. Such was the case back in February, when Lemon Muffin (at that point still a maiden) sprang a 28-1 upset in winning the Honeybee by more than three lengths. She was beaten badly in the Fantasy and will look to bounce back for a Hall of Fame conditioner who has won this race five times (tied for the most in Oaks history).

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Lemon Muffin was bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Kuster and the Collected Syndicate, out of the unplaced Canadian Frontier mare Pelt, who is the dam of five winners from eight foals to race, also including stakes-placed Creative Bid. Grade/Group 3 winners Discover, High Stakes Player, and Arch Mistress can be found in the extended family.

Lemon Muffin sold to Dark Star Thoroughbreds for $20,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale from the Shawhan Place consignment. Dark Star Thoroughbreds then offered the filly at the following year's OBS Spring Sale, where she sold to Bruno DeBerdt, agent, for $140,000.

#12: Into Champagne

Pedigree: Into Mischief - Bedford Land (by Speightstown)
Owners: Six Column Stables, Bloch, Gladden, Davis, and Steele
Trainer: Ian Wilkes
Breeder: Robert Low & Lawana Low (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 50

One of the most lightly-raced horses in this field, Into Champagne has raced just four times. That’s partially the product of a 2-year-old campaign where her lone start was a win at Ellis Park in June. At three, she’s raced three times at Gulfstream Park. Earlier this year, she won one stakes race (the Glitter Woman) before placing in two others.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Into Champagne was bred in Kentucky by Robert and Lawana Low, out of the winning Speightstown mare Bedford Land, who is the dam of three winners from four foals to race. Her second dam is Grade 1 winner Pool Land.

Into Champagne sold to Six Column Stables for $300,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale. Taylor Made Sales Agency consigned her, as agent.

#13: Everland

Pedigree: Arrogate - Ever Changing (by Tapit)
Owners: Foster Family Racing, Wargel, R.K. Eckrich Racing, and Maxis Stable
Trainer: Eric Foster
Breeder: George Strawbridge Jr. (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 54

Just a few months ago, Everland ran for a tag in a maiden claiming event at Turfway Park. However, she’s recently blossomed and comes into the Kentucky Oaks after a win in the Bourbonette Oaks. How the form will transition to Churchill Downs’s dirt track is anyone’s guess, but she’s shown she loves the distance and she’s bred to get better as she gets older.

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Everland was bred in Kentucky by George Strawbridge Jr., and she is the first foal out of the winning Tapit mare Ever Changing. Second dam Rainbow View was a Group 1 winner in England and Ireland, as well as a Grade 3 winner in the U.S.

#14: Gin Gin

Pedigree: Hightail - Before You Know It (by Hard Spun)
Owner: Calumet Farm
Trainer: Brad Cox
Breeder: Calumet Farm (KY)
Kentucky Oaks Points: 66

We saw Cox’s name once before on this list, with Tarifa. Here, he has a runner that’s wintered in New York after turning some heads as a 2-year-old, when she ran second in the Rags to Riches Stakes and fifth in the G2 Golden Rod (both at Churchill Downs). She won the Busanda in January before finishing third in both the Busher and the Gazelle. 

Kentucky-Bred Pedigree: Gin Gin is a Kentucky homebred for Calumet Farm, out of the Grade 3-placed stakes-winning Hard Spun mare Before You Know It, whose two foals to race are both winners. Last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Hard to Justify can be found in her extended family, along with Grade 3 winner Funny Duck.