Kentucky Oaks Roundup: March 9, 2020

Stay up to speed on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with a weekly roundup of all the latest news and developments:

Changes on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) runner-up Donna Veloce made a big move up the leaderboard with her triumph in Sunday’s Santa Ysabel (G3). Despite stumbling at the start and switching to off-the-pace tactics, Donna Veloce rallied powerfully to win eased up by 4 1/4 lengths, adding 50 qualification points to the 12 she accumulated last year. With a total of 62 points, she ranks second on the leaderboard behind Finite (70 points).

Busher Invitational winner Water White also made a big move, advancing to fourth place with 54 points. Shedaresthedevil debuted in sixth place with 50 points courtesy of her hard-fought triumph in the Honeybee (G3), while runner-up Alta’s Award (20 points) is right behind in seventh place. Motu (16 points), who finished third in the Honeybee, and Lake Avenue (15 points), who faded to fourth in the Busher, also made mild gains to settle in eighth and ninth place.

On the Kentucky Oaks Work Tab

Auberge: Santa Ynez (G2) runner-up turned in an easy half-mile workout on Friday at Santa Anita, getting the distance in :50.60.

British Idiom: The reigning champion 2-year-old filly worked 4 furlongs in :49 on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Finite: Four-time stakes winner blazed 5 furlongs in a bullet 1:00 on Monday at Fair Grounds, reiterating her standing as the early favorite for the Kentucky Oaks.

Frank’s Rockette: Two-time Grade 1-placed filly clocked 3 furlongs in :37.40 on Friday at Payson Park.

Harvey’s Lil Goil: Runaway Busanda S. winner returned to the work tab with 5 furlongs in 1:02.20 on Tuesday at Payson Park.

Lazy Daisy: The 2019 Pocahontas (G2) winner turned in his first workout of the year on Sunday at Santa Anita, going 3 furlongs in :37.40.

Lucrezia: Suncoast S. winner worked a half-mile in :49 on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

Venetian Harbor: Eye-catching Las Virgenes (G2) winner sped 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 on Friday at Santa Anita.

Wicked Whisper: The Frizette (G1) winner turned in her fifth consecutive 5-furlong workout on Sunday at Fair Grounds, going the distance in a quick 1:00.40.

Looking Ahead at Kentucky Oaks prep-races

It’s going to be a quiet week on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The only prep race on the agenda is the $150,000 Bourbonette Oaks on Saturday at Turfway Park, which will award 20 qualification points to the winner. The 1-mile race will be conducted over Turfway’s Polytrack course, making the Bourbonette the only Road to the Kentucky Oaks prep race held over a synthetic surface.

Off the Trail

O Seraphina: Trainer Joe Sharp explained to BloodHorse.com that O Seraphina would be sidelined for up to four months due to a upper suspensory strain, with a good prognosis for 100% recuperation.