Land Over Sea, five others tune up for Kentucky Oaks

Edited press releases

Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopeful Land Over Sea worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 over a fast track at Keeneland around 8:45 a.m. (EDT) on Friday. Clockers caught her in fractions of :12.80, :24.40, :36.80, 1:01.80 and out in 1:16.

"She was really stretching out, looked great," O'Neill said. "She's very happy in Kentucky. We're seven days out (from the Oaks). We're very excited and happy with what we saw today."

Gazelle (G2) winner Lewis Bay worked a half-mile over a fast track at Churchill Downs Friday morning after the break in :49 with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard.

Working in company, the Kentucky Oaks-bound filly posted fractions of :24.20, :36.60 with gallop-out times of 1:01.80 for five furlongs and 1:14.20 for six furlongs. The move was the 29th fastest of 67.

Go Maggie Go also put in her final work in for the May 6 Oaks. The daughter of Ghostzapper breezed five furlongs in 1:03.60 with exercise rider Tammy Fox in the irons.

"She worked real well this morning," trainer Dale Romans said of the move that came after the renovation break. "I just wanted her to go slow, and everything looks like it's on schedule."

Dream Dance, with jockey Brian Hernandez aboard, worked five furlongs in :59.60 after the break. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.60 with the move being the eighth fastest of 52.

"That was a helluva work," trainer Neil Howard said. "I didn't think she'd go that fast but it was the perfect track with just the right amount of moisture in it. I got her in :59 and 3 and out in 1:12 and 2 or 3 and seven-eighths in 1:27 and 4. She is so honest."

Hernandez, who has ridden the filly in all nine of her starts, said, "I had horses the whole way. You couldn't ask for a better work."

Dothraki Queen, 16th on the Oaks leaderboard, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 after the break under jockey Gary Stevens.

"She probably went in 1:01. She flew the last eighth," Stevens said. "I had a test drive with her last week at Keeneland (in a work) and today she wanted to get down to business."

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Dothraki Queen won the Pocahontas (G2) at Churchill in September. Should she not makes the Oaks field, the $150,000 Edgewood (G3) run at 1 1/16 miles on the turf May 6 is considered her next option.

It may be a longshot that Marquee Miss, who is currently 18th on the Oaks leaderboard, makes the Kentucky Oaks field, but trainer Ingrid Mason and regular rider Channing Hill are moving forward as if she will. Friday morning they sent out the multiple stakes-winning filly to work a half mile in :49 during the special 8:30 a.m. training time.

"It was a good work," Mason said. "She's not normally a good work horse unless she goes in company. Once you give her her head, she just settles right down. But, I love that about her. She's not too hard on herself in the morning, which makes my job easier."

"This was her best work," Hill said. "She's doing really well. I hope she gets in, she deserves to be there. It was a bad deal at Turfway (when third in the Bourbonette [G3]). The wind was blowing like crazy and she just missed getting second."