Sunland Park Oaks

Jill Baffert's Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso), the 2-5 favorite, survived a steward's inquiry to secure 20 qualifying points to the GI Kentucky Oaks with her victory in the Sunland Park Oaks Sunday evening in New Mexico. Winner of last year's GI Del Mar Debutante, Bouttle of Rouge was making her first start since finishing sixth in the Oct. 31 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. The gray filly stalked the pace three wide as Cashed (I'll Have Another) took the field through fractions of :23.85 and :46.80....

Searching for redemption following a sub-par effort as the beaten 1-10 choice in her stakes debut last time out, Michael Lund Petersen's Maysam (Game Winner) appeared to have her running shoes on Sunday while registering a hard-fought victory at odds of 3-2 over favored Supa Speed (Justify) in the GIII Fasig-Tipton Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita. Rushing to the lead from her outside perch facing three others, Maysam, dropping the blinkers here, clicked off an opening quarter in :23/45 as even-money choice Supa Speed kept the frontrunner in her...

In the lone GI Kentucky Oaks points race on Sunday, Runnin N Gunnin (Gun Runner) deposited into her account the top prize of 20 points as she took home the Sunland Park Oaks. Breaking out of the maiden special weight ranks at third asking when the filly owned by Valor Farm's Douglas Scharbauer won by a head at Horseshoe Indy at the end of October, Runnin N Gunnin was well-beaten against optional claimers at Churchill Downs a month later. In her prep for this spot, the Keeneland September grad cleared...

Things are starting to heat up on the trail to the GI Kentucky Oaks, and this weekend will feature the most important race run so far this year. The GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes at the Fair Grounds drew just six horses, but the race does not lack quality. Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) was undefeated last year in four starts and will be the favorite. But Simply Joking (Practical Joke) is not a horse you can throw out. It will be a big test for Simply Joking, who has run...

Recharge (Gun Runner) wound up banking 20 points in her Kentucky Oaks checking account after she got the money at Sunland Park on Sunday afternoon. The homebred arrived in El Paso with two wins to her credit in as many races. Breaking her maiden by nine lengths in mid-December at Remington Park, the filly shipped to Houston and passed the two-turn test when she cleared the allowance ranks with a 4-3/4 win Jan. 21. Sent on her way at odds of 2-1 here, the 3-year-old established a lead heading into...

Locally based Flying Connection turned in a powerful front-running performance Sunday to stamp her ticket to the GI Kentucky Oaks. The bay closed out last season with a convincing tally in the Zia Princess S., and resurfaced in the local Borderplex S. to be third at 30 cents on the dollar. She bounced back while stretching out to best Love Tank by more than nine lengths in the Island Fashion S. Feb. 28, but had to contend with Bob Baffert-trained invader Doinitthehardway this time. Able to seize a narrow advantage...