Daria's Angel (Gemologist), who registered a sparkling eight-length maiden score when stretched to two turns last time out at Fair Grounds Feb. 18, will jump up to the graded stakes ranks for her next outing in the Apr. 1 GII Fair Grounds Oaks.
“Honestly we tried to get her in an allowance race, but sadly it wouldn't go, but we have a lot of confidence in the filly,” trainer Bret Calhoun explained. “Ideally I was trying to run her in an allowance three weeks after the race and then have the same gap to the Oaks if she ran well against those. We've had to go with Plan-B and go right into the Oaks. We'll test the waters in there.”
Owned by Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch, Daria's Angel was runner-up in six-furlong maiden special weights at Churchill Nov. 2 and at Fair Grounds Dec. 17. She graduated going one mile and 70 yards in New Orleans.
“She was pretty convincing the other day in her maiden win,” Calhoun said. “We've known she wants to go long for a while and she proved it. We think she has a lot of talent.”
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