Fair Grounds Oaks

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

The $300,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) on Saturday marks the return of the filly
that kept Sweet Catomine (Storm Cat) from a unanimous win in the champion
two-year-old voting, RUNWAY MODEL (Petionville). The Bernie Flint trainee has
been off since a three-length tally in the Golden Rod S. (G2) last November,
which came following a close third  in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies (G1) after a horrific trip. She owns a mark of 3-2-0-1 at the 1 1/16-mile Oaks
distance and as the second choice on the morning line at 9-5, we’ll be happy to
endorse the dark bay miss. Rafael Bejarano has the mount.

SUMMERLY (Summer Squall) looms a serious threat in this one as the Steve
Asmussen trainee enters off two wins in a row over this surface and distance,
with the latter coming in the Silverbulletday S. (G3) over a pair of her rivals
here. All three of the chestnut’s lifetime wins have come at 8 1/2 furlongs and
she’ll be tough to beat under Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey.

The Josie Carroll-trained CARLEA (Carson City) rates our third selection but
is also a serious upset contender as she appears better-suited for longer distances. The
sophomore broke her maiden and took her next start in an optional claimer, both
at six furlongs over the Fair Grounds dirt, winning going away each time. Most
recently, the bay finished second while closing in on Isabell’s Shoes (King of
Kings [Ire]) in the one-mile Martha Washington S. That rival has since been
entered as a betting interest in the second Kentucky Oaks (G1) future pool,
suggesting our sleeper choice may have a good shot here.

Paul McGee will saddle Silverbulletday runner-up EYES ON EDDY (Touch Gold),
who enters off a bullet :59 4/5 five-furlong drill over this surface on March 5.
The bay miss has been training forwardly but still only owns one win in four
lifetime starts. We’ll use her toward the end of the gimmicks. ENDURING WILL
(Arch) finished third in the Silverbulletday and prior to that one was an
excellent second by a neck in the Tiffany Lass S. after being hung three wide on
both turns. Because of that gutsy performance, we’ll use the dark bay in the
bottom of the exotics.

From the same connections as 2004 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, SOUL SEARCH (A.P.
Indy) has only her maiden win to her credit and we can’t recommend at this time.