Pretty as can be in the Oaks

Medaglia d’Oro has produced magic twice in the last three years in America’s most celebrated race for three year old fillies. In 2009 Rachel Alexandra set the bar at an unreachable height with her 20 ¼ length victory in the Kentucky Oaks when she came within 1/5 of a second of the stakes record. In 2011 Plum Pretty had to fight tooth and nail to emulate her Horse of the Year half sister but still got the job done in a sparkling time of 1:49.50 with more than 110,000 fans in attendance, the third largest in Oaks history.

The 2011 Kentucky Oaks showcased the brightest and best of American racing as one of the strongest fields in history made it to the starting gate after months of anticipation and planning. No less than six graded stakes winners and five additional stakes winners lined up for the 137^th running of the Kentucky Oaks. Plum Pretty proved emphatically that her 25 length victory in the Sunland Park Oaks on March 27^th that had some people thinking she had peaked too soon, was no fluke at Churchill Downs on May 6th.

At the break Plum Pretty shot straight from the gate while St. John’s River came out awkwardly and darted towards the outside rail, forcing jockey Rosie Napravnik to veer her sharply back to the inside. Crossing swiftly behind the pack St. John’s River took up the rear of the field as Plum Pretty rated comfortably behind Summer Soiree into the first turn. Race favorite Joyful Victory broke well from post one while Lilacs and Lace broke like a shot to her outside and moved over to the rail just ahead of Joyful Victory. Kathmanblu came out of stall four straight as an arrow as Daisy Devine flashed by, gunning for the leaders. [Read the complete post here on Horse Racing Nation]