Apple Blossom (gr. I)

[Starine]

Oaklawn Park, Sunday, April 14, 2019, Race 8

Grade I -- 1 1/16m -- Dirt -- $750,000 -- 4 yo's & up -- Fillies and Mares -- 4:42 PM

1. Elate -- Jose Ortiz
2. Chocolate Martini -- Jermaine Bridgmohan
3. Escape Clause -- Tyler Baze
4. Viva Forever -- Walter De La Cruz
5. Wonder Gadot -- David Cohen
6. Midnight Bisou -- Mike Smith


It's a small but select field. Midnight Bisou will go favored but she's no lock here. She held off Elate by a length in the Azeri but I think that one could turn the tables here now that she is fitter. Thoughts?

[Izvestia]

Elate should improve off the last and likely needed that race. Hard to knock Bisou though, she is awesome and should also run well. Dead heat?

[Gemini]

This is a great field. Sentimentally, I want Escape Clause to win but I think the exacta from the Azeri Stakes will repeat itself.

[Flanders]

I really like Elate, hoping for a great year from her this year.

[firehorse]

This is a great field. Sentimentally, I want Escape Clause to win but I think the exacta from the Azeri Stakes will repeat itself.

Almost got it!

[Flanders]

Midnight Bisou over Escape Clause (they battled to the wire, was close), with Elate in 3rd. Midnight Bisou rerallied after getting passed at the top of the stretch.

[mariasmon]

May I take your order?

Wonder Gadot: I'd like some class relief, please.

Casse: Your next start will be the La Troienne.

[stark]

Good thing this guy has plenty stashed away in his mattress as I think that's a couple times he went down that same road recently....

https://twitter.com/andyserling/status/ ... 9010909184

[Somnambulist]

May I take your order?

Wonder Gadot: I'd like some class relief, please.

Casse: Your next start will be the La Troienne.

Sigh. So true.

[BaroqueAgain1]

Mike Smith had a pretty good weekend at Oaklawn. I think he took home about $100,000.

[Starine]

Not that I dislike Midnight Bisou, but I was really rooting for Escape Clause to get the nod. She and her trainer are such a great story.

[Diver52]

Wonder Gadot is feeling the effects from being nominated "Worst managed horse of the second half of 2018."

[Curtis]

Wonder Gadot is feeling the effects from being nominated "Worst managed horse of the second half of 2018."

The Travers was definitely a mistake, I said that at the time, but other than that, I don’t see gross mismanagement. She was put in an AOC off the lay-off and was probably a little short not wanting to have her fully cranked. She popped and stopped today and the best they could have hoped for anyway was a competitive fourth and rather than beat her up trying for that, Cohen took care of her. Being that she’s ready to run where would you place her? The Personal Ensign very well have fried both Abel Tasman and Elate. Is Mott erring with Elate?

[Izvestia]

She ran huge last year in the KY Oaks and then ate the Canadian boys for lunch in the Queens Plate - then they kept going on her. Turns out May-June ‘18 was her up-cycle. They should chill out on her and lay low, run her in some Can-bred filly and mare stakes so she can get some confidence back. If she can’t win then... she probably shouldn’t be running in G1’s.

[Curtis]

She ran huge last year in the KY Oaks and then ate the Canadian boys for lunch in the Queens Plate - then they kept going on her. Turns out May-June ‘18 was her up-cycle. They should chill out on her and lay low, run her in some Can-bred filly and mare stakes so she can get some confidence back. If she can’t win then... she probably shouldn’t be running in G1’s.

Thanks for that, I think that’s a sound plan. I think the reason she’s still running is to get a G1 since she’s shown herself to be competitive with the best of her crop in NA and she won the two Canadian Classics. Hopefully they can find spots to accomplish their goals.