Rachel Valentina, the daughter of champion Rachel Alexandra, will attempt to emulate her dam by wining the G1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchil Downs on Friday.
Rachel Alexandra recorded an amazing 20 1/4 lengths win in the 2009 Kentucky Oaks and her daughter has already proven she is top class with some notable G1 performances of her own.
She has since finished second when run down late by Weep No More in the GI Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 9.
One of two Todd Pletcher runners in the Oaks, Rachel Valentina will break from post 11 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez in the saddle.Weep No More, who was sent off at odds of 30-1 in the Ashland, has drawn gate 2. The George Arnold trained filly will again be piloted by Corey Lanerie.
Cathryn Sophia, winner of her first four starts including the G2I Forward Gal Stakes and G2 Davona Dale Stakes, checked in third after setting the pace in the Ashland.The bay will jump from gate 12 on Friday with three-time Eclipse winner Javier Castellano in the saddle.
“She is pretty tactical and she can put herself into the race pretty easy, so I was probably going to be comfortable with whatever we drew,” Cathryn Sophia’s conditioner John Servis said.Reddam Racing, Doug O’Neill and Mario Gutierrez, the same team that hopes to win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday with juvenile champion Nyquist, have a solid chance in the Oaks with Land Over Sea.
She won the G2 Fair Grounds Stakes after spending most of her career chasing Songbird, will exit the 13 gate.Steve Asmussen has the most Oaks entries with the trio of Terra Promessa, Taxable and Royal Obsession (Tapit). Terra Promessa, who beat out Taxable by a neck in the GIII Fantasy S., will break from the rail at 10-1, while Taxable is marooned in post 14 at 20-1. “TDN Rising Star” Royal Obsession, second to Lewis Bay (Bernardini) in the GII Gazelle S. Apr. 9, is also 20-1 on the morning-line and drew the eight-hole.
