Avie’s Sense out, as Summer Applause head the Fair Grounds Oaks field at Fair Grounds
The Grade 2, $500,000 Fair Grounds Oaks is considered to be a sacred event for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks hopefuls, because in the past four of the last seven winners of the Fair Grounds Oaks have gone on to bag the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks.
The shine will be off the Fair Grounds Oaks this season, because the much anticipated matchup between two rivals will not happen at the race. The runner-up of the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at about 1 1/16 miles has been scratched out of the race.
According to her trainer Josie Carroll, the Kentucky bred 3-year-old Street Sense filly isn’t all that well to go in a race of this magnitude, especially when her Rachel Alexandra Stakes tormentor is in the Fair Grounds Oak mix, Summer Applause.
“Yes, we’ve had a little setback,” trainer Josie Carroll said. “We’re not quite 100% ‘bang on’ with her right now, and I think in a race like this you need to be. We’re going to back off this one and give her a little more time.”
If Avie’s Sense was running in the Fair Grounds Oaks on 31 March, 2012, she would have been sent as the second choice favourite to win the race after the favourite, Summer Applause is sent as the favourite to win the race.
Greenwood Lodge Farm’s Summer Applause 3-year-old filly second in the Silverbulletday Stakes and winner of the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes has been training well for the 1 1/16 mile event. The 8 to 5 favourite breezed on 25 March, 2012, under jockey
Roby Albarado.
She worked half a mile in 47 3/5 seconds. “She breezed very good yesterday and she came out of it good,” said trainer Bret Calhoun’s assistant “Peaches” Geier. “(Jockey) Robby Albarado is really high on her. He says she just keeps getting better every day.”
Summer Applause drew post number 4 for the $500,000 Fair Grounds Oaks over a distance of 1 1/16 miles, as the all important race reeled in 6, 3-year-old fillies to fight it out before the Kentucky Oaks, where probably all of them will be meeting each other
again.
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