Keogh Doubles His Chances for Oaks Win

– Trainer Mike Keogh and owner Gus Schickedanz go after their first win in Sunday’s Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser, with a pair of three-year-old fillies, Politelyprecocious and First Circle.

“She’s a complete kook,” laughed Keogh, of First Circle, a bay daughter of champion Langfuhr, who has one win and one second in two career starts. “When she first came up from South Carolina, you needed a butterfly net to catch her. We had to do plenty of things with her. She’s a very nervous filly.”

In her career bow on May 8, under Jono Jones, the Ontario-bred, well supported at 2-1 on the toteboard, lengthened her head advantage at the stretch call to go on to a three-quarter length score over seven furlongs on the Woodbine Polytrack.

His other entrant, Politelyprecocious, has one win and two thirds from six starts. “Her nickname around the barn is “Politelyferocious”, offered Keogh. “She’s a lot like Mobil (Keogh’s tough-as-nails retired champion, who finished second to stablemate Wando in the 2003 Queen’s Plate). You have to keep your head up when you walk by her stall.”

Keogh’s other bay daughter of Langfuhr heads into the Oaks off a seventh-place finish in the La Lorgnette Stakes on May 17, 6 lengths behind Hooh Why. “She (Politelyprecocious) kind of got isolated again out there. She wants to be in the battle and she likes to be engaged by other horses.”

Secret Wish a Longshop Hope in Oaks

– Trainer Jimmy Day is no stranger to Oaks success, having trained a record five winners of Canada’s most prestigious race for Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies… Classy ‘N Smart (1984), Tilt My Halo (1988), Tiffany’s Secret (1990), Dance Smartly (1991) and Too Late Now (2003).

This time around, Day saddles a ‘flier’, Cudney Stables’ Secret Wish, who’ll likely be a longshot when the field leaves the gate for Sunday’s

1 1/8-mile event.

Yet, she’s certainly bred to run all day… by Street Cry out of Awesome Lass, an Awesome Again mare.  And she did break her maiden going a mile and one-sixteenth last December in an allowance contest, not a maiden event. In her last two outings, both at one and one-sixteenth miles, she’s finished third. “Her last race was okay,” said Day. “It wasn’t absolutely great but it certainly was okay against some very solid older mares.  I like her running style. She was well off the pace and came with a fairly decent run, galloped out strong, a very acceptable race.”

Justin Stein, who has ridden the bay filly in four of her six lifetime starts, retains the mount, while looking for his first Oaks win after finishing second twice… with Sweet Breanna in 2006 and Saskawea in 2007.

Dance For Us Set For Oaks

– Trainer Barb Minshall confirmed that Minshall Farms’ Dance For Us will run in Sunday’s Woodbine Oaks, presented by Budweiser.

The daughter of Monashee Mountain goes into the 1 1/8-mile race for three-year-old Canadian-bred fillies with one win in six races and has two stakes starts, a fourth-place finish in the 2008 Ontario Lassie and a sixth in the La Lorgnette last time out on May 17.

Robert Landry gets aboard Dance For Us for the first time, looking to get his fourth Oaks tally, joining Capdiva (1997), Catch the Ring (2000) and Too Late Now (2003).

“She’s a really nice filly,” Minshall, who has a second (Montgomery Belle in 1997) and a third (Buxton Spice in 1996) in four Oaks starts, said.  “She’s done everything right, right from the beginning.  She’s been a pretty good horse to train.  She didn’t spend the winter in Florida, so she had some time off.  She came in here a little behind, but I think she’s a true router and she’s going into the Oaks in her third start (off the layoff).  I think she’ll be more ready to run and we’re looking for a good race from her.”

The bay was bred and owned by Minshall Farms, the sole concern of Shawn Minshall.

 

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