Bless the Broken

A pair of Keeneland-based contenders for the May 2 GI Kentucky Oaks each drilled four furlongs over the Keenelanf main track Wednesday morning. Cypress Creek Equine and Madaket Stable's Bless the Broken (Laoban), last-out winner of the Listed Bourbonette Oaks over the Turfway Poly Mar. 22, covered the distance in :48 flat (6/43) in the company of her thrice-raced Will Walden stablemate Bermuda Triangle (Justify) in splits of :11.60 and :24.80 before galloping out five-eighths of a mile in 1:01 according to Keeneland clockers. "It was good; we weren't trying...

Cypress Creek Equine and Madaket Stables' Bless the Broken (Laoban) worked five furlongs in company in 1:00.80 (3/21) Wednesday morning at Keeneland as she prepares for her next start in the $1.5-million GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 2. "This is the first time I have worked her, and she worked nice," said Velazquez of Bless the Broken, who breezed in the company of her unraced Will Walden stablemate Mackave (Quality Road). Second to Simply Joking (Practical Joke) in the Jan. 18 Silverbulletday Stakes and third to undefeated...

Bless the Broken (Laoban), last seen finishing third behind Saturday's GII Fair Grounds Oaks winner Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes at the Fair Grounds Feb. 15, made a successful transition to Turfway Park's Tapeta surface over the same trip. Biding her time under a patient John Velazquez, the 6-1 fourth choice in the field of 11 sat in seventh early behind White Rocks (Frosted)'s even pace set in :24.24, :49.02 and 1:13.69. Advancing while four-wide on the far turn, she swept past White Rocks, Bracelet...

Only briefly giving her backers worry, Good Cheer (f, 3, Medgalia d'Oro--Wedding Toast, by Street Sense) rolled home the easiest of winners in the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes and claimed 25 points toward the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. On a four-race win streak which started last August in her debut at Horseshoe Indianapolis, the Godolphin homebred followed that effort up with a 17-length victory against allowance runners at Churchill Downs and never slowed down from there. Claiming the Listed Rags to Riches Stakes Oct. 27 and the GII Golden...