Bourbonette Oaks attracts a dozen sophomore fillies

Mar 22, 2017 Jennifer Caldwell/Brisnet.com

Turfway Park plays host on Saturday to the $100,000 Bourbonette Oaks (G3), a one-mile contest offering 50-20-10-5 points to the respective top four toward a starting berth in the May 5 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

The race is the penultimate contest before the points being awarded are bumped up to 100-40-20-10 and, unlike other events on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series, takes place over a synthetic surface.

Delphinia is no stranger to Turfway’s Polytrack, easily skipping over the all-weather surface to score by seven lengths in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs on February 4. The Wesley Ward-trained daughter of The Factor will be stretching out to eight furlongs in the Bourbonette Oaks and keeps jockey Julio Garcia in the irons.

Gilded Lily is another with prior experience on the track, and has the added bonus of going the distance last out as well. The Mike Maker pupil broke her maiden by 5 1/4 lengths at first asking on February 9 over the track and returned just 16 days later to take an allowance/optional claimer by 2 3/4 lengths most recently. Tyler Gaffalione will take the reins for the first time on the Speightstown filly.

There are two other fillies who, like Gilded Lily, will put their unbeaten two-for-two marks on the line Saturday in the Bourbonette Oaks.

Jenna J broke her maiden going six furlongs on January 19 and put together another wire job last out on February 23 when scoring by four lengths against allowance/optional claimers. Both those starts came at Turfway Park, and the Jason Cook charge keeps regular rider Rodney Prescott in the saddle.

Darkwingsoverdubai shipped in from trainer Jerry Hollendorfer’s Northern California shedrow at Golden Gate Fields. That is where the Raven’s Pass filly broke her maiden and captured an allowance/optional claimer over the synthetic Tapeta. Frank Alvarado has journeyed from the West Coast for the mount.

On Her Honor finished third behind Gilded Lily last out, one race following a runner-up effort in the filly division of the OBS Championship Stakes at the Ocala Training Center. China Grove proved best in the Wide Country Stakes at Laurel Park in her most recent try.

Miss O’Hara followed her first victory with a fourth in the OBS Championship, while Grade 1-placed Fun ran seventh in that latter contest in her three-year-old bow. I’mluckysgirl hasn’t competed since a ninth in last October’s Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

Awesome Boss took seven tries but romped on March 2 at Oaklawn Park to break her maiden by 7 1/2 lengths. Purely a Dream captured her maiden on turf last October and is unraced since a well-beaten eighth at Churchill Downs in November. Northwest Bourbon is seeking her initial win in this spot.