Barn Notes 3/8/25
Compiled by Robert Yates
Quietside returned to the work tab on a cloudy, chilly Saturday morning at Oaklawn, her first major move since a breakthrough victory in the $500,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies Feb. 23.
Quietside, under her trainer, John Ortiz, breezed during the special “workers-only” session immediately following the break to renovate the racing surface. Quietside, outside regular workout partner Spankerboom, covered a half-mile in :48 over a fast-raced surface Quietside galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:00.20, according to Oaklawn clockers, covering her final quarter-mile in :23.40. Spankerboom, a stakes-raced 3-year-old filly, was also credited with a half-mile in :48.
“Just a maintenance work,” Ortiz said. “Spankerboom always works with her. It was a good work for both. After the wire, I let her gallop out a little bit. Galloped out a minute and change. It was extremely smooth. I’ve worked her before, but it’s been a long time. After this, she feels like two different animals. She’s an athlete.”
Ortiz is pointing Quietside to the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 29. The Fantasy is Oaklawn’s final major prep for the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) at 1 1/8 miles May 2 at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Oaks is the country’s biggest race for 3-year-old fillies.
Quietside tops the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 68 points, collecting 50 for her one-length Honeybee victory. The 1 1/16-mile Honeybee was the first career stakes victory for Quietside, a daughter of the deceased Malibu Moon. She had finished second or third in her previous four stakes attempts.
“She came out of that race breathing a different type of air,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz trains Quietside for her breeder, Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony. The Honeybee was the record-tying 39th career Oaklawn stakes victory for Anthony. The late John Franks also won 39 Oaklawn stakes races, the last coming in 2000.
Nominations to the Fantasy close March 15. It will offer 200 total points (100-50-25-15-10, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks.
Team Lukas
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas still has a handful of prospects on the Kentucky Derby trail in Caldera, Innovator and American Promise. Next-race plans are firm for two of the three, Lukas said Friday morning.
Lukas said that Caldera will make his next start in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at 1 3/16 miles March 22 at Fair Grounds or the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at 1 1/8 miles March 29 at Oaklawn.
“Caldera’s doing really well,” Lukas said. “We’re agonizing a little bit where to go with him.”
Caldera earned 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points in his last start, finishing second, beaten a nose, in the $400,000 Sunland Park Derby at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 16. Caldera launched his 3-year-old campaign with a front-running 5 ½-length maiden special weight victory Jan. 17 at Oaklawn. That race was also 1 1/16 miles.
Lukas said Caldera, a gray son of Liam’s Map for MyRacehorse, is his top Kentucky Derby hope at the moment.
“Only because of the handicap numbers, the speed figures,” Lukas said.
Lukas said he plans to run American Promise in the $500,000 Virginia Derby March 15 at Colonial Downs and Innovator in the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) March 22 at Turfway. Both races are 1 1/8 miles.
The Virginia Derby will offer 105 total points (50-25-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward Kentucky Derby starting eligibility. The Jeff Ruby, like the Louisiana Derby and Arkansas Derby, is a 200-point qualifying race, with 100 awarded to the winner.
American Promise finished fifth in the $500,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 15 at Fair Grounds. The speedy Innovator ran 12th in the $1.25 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 23 at Oaklawn. The Jeff Ruby will be his first start on a synthetic surface. American Promise and Innovator won maiden special weight races Dec. 29 at Oaklawn.
Finish Lines
Eight-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. rode two winners Friday, pushing his career North American total to 1,991, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. Santana won the fifth race aboard Levee Was Dry ($9.60) for trainer David Jacobson and the seventh race aboard Red State ($11.80) for trainer Mike Maker. Santana recently surpassed John Lively to become the fourth-winningest rider in Oaklawn history. Santana enters Saturday with 786 career victories at Oaklawn, the first coming Jan. 21, 2011. He has 25 victories this season. Retired Hall of Famer Pat Day is the winningest rider in Oaklawn history (1,264 victories). Lively retired in 1992. … Trainer Jinks Fires recorded his 478th career Oaklawn victory and 1,500th overall with Lady Commander ($13.40) in Friday’s third race. Fires is the fourth-winningest trainer in Oaklawn history. … Entries will be accepted and post positions drawn Sunday for the six-furlong $250,000 Whitmore Stakes (G3) for older horses March 15. Happy Is a Choice, a scheduled Whitmore starter, worked a half-mile in :48.20 Saturday morning at Oaklawn for trainer John Ortiz. The track was fast.
