Dreaming of the Ashland and Uncle Mo

This Saturday I will be heading to Aqueduct for my first in-person look at Uncle Mo in the $1 million Wood Memorial. I'll be taking a camera that I can hopefully capture some good shots with and will be posting about the race hopefully on Sunday. Until then check out my new post from Horse Racing Nation below on the Ashland Stakes (gr.) which is bursting at the seams with talent:

If the Florida Derby was touted as the deepest Kentucky Derby prep of the season for the colts than the $400,000 Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes is certainly the deepest filly prep of the year for the Kentucky Oaks. Entered in the premier race for 3-year-old fillies are no less than 4 graded stakes winners.

If the quality of the field was weighed in on scales as they stand in the gate, the scales would flip over towards the inside rail.

Breaking from post position number one is Grade 3 winner Bouquet Booth who will be making her third start of the year for trainer Steve Margolis. She began her 2011 campaign with a solid win in the SIlverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, winning by a neck over future Fair Grounds Oaks winner Daisy Devine. She closed out her juvenile year with a win in the Delta Downs Princess Stakes (Gr.3) where she handily defeated Niji’s Grand Girl. She finished fourth to Kathmanblu and Inglorious in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (gr.3) after making a move at the top of the stretch that flattened out, snapping her three race win streak. She has posted three 5 furlong works since her Rachel Alexandra Stakes run, each one faster than the last with her latest move coming in 1:00.00 at Keeneland. She figures to be very close to the pace or on the lead.

Lilacs and Lace will break from post position two. She started the year with a 1 ½ length victory over Cathy’s Crunches in a super slow California Oaks and then finished fourth behind Summer Soiree in the Bourbonette Oaks on March 26^th. She has not posted any works since her Bourbonette Oaks thrashing two weeks ago and will have to pick up her game to be competitive in the 1 1/16 mile Ashland.

Wyomia breaks from post position three. Last year Wyomia won the 1 1/16 mile Mazarine Stakes (gr.3) over Woodbine’s all weather surface on the front end in a very impressive performance Turning back the challenge of Delightful Mary at the head of the stretch, Wyomia powered to a 2 ¾ length win in the Mazarine. She closed out her 2010 juvenile campaign with a 6^th place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr.1) before opening up 2011 with a win in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs where she showed a new dimension. During her juvenile campaign the Vindication filly liked to be on the front end or contesting the lead but in the Suncoast she rated far off the pace before moving up as they field entered the homestretch, sweeping around fillies before darting to the inside of horses and running down Devilish Lady at the wire to win by a head in a hand ride. If either one of the favorites falter in the Ashland this filly could easily be there to pick up the pieces and become a serious Kentucky Oaks contender. [Read the complete post here at Kentucky Oaks Runner on Horse Racing Nation]