Florida Oaks 2014 Contenders & Odds

Dave Bond | OTB Writer

Las Vegas, NV - Tampa Bay Downs in Tampa, Florida will play host to the Grade 3 Florida Oaks this Saturday, March 8. A group of three year old fillies will take to Tampa Bay Downs's turf track and race 1 1/16 miles for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

A full field of 12 fillies plus two Also Eligible's have been confirmed for the Florida Oaks - race 10 on Tampa Bay Downs's Saturday card. Post time is 4:55 PM. Here is a brief glance into the past performances of all 14 possible combatants for this Grade 3 stakes.

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2014 Florida Oaks Race Favorite Entries

Testa Rossi - French bred Chad Brown trained filly has just two starts in North America and had good results - a come from behind win in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park October 6 was followed by a good second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. This after three straight wins at home. That's four straight wins and a second place finish in five starts prior to this weekend - pretty impressive. She is the 2-1 morning line favorite and will have Jose Lezcano in the saddle from the outside post aboard the 122 pound co-top weight.

Miss Besilu - legendary trainer Bill Mott sends out Miss Besilu for her graded stakes debut Saturday. She has two wins in four career starts including an Allowance Optional Claiming at Gulfstream last time out February 8 and before that had an OK second in the minor Ginger Brew Stakes also at Gulfstream - January 5. Miss Besilu has some experience on this track and will depart from post 10 with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard as the 4-1 second choice.

Florida Oaks 2014 | Remaining Contenders

Duff One - Gary Contessa trained filly is coming off a sixth in them minor Sweetest Chant Stakes at Gulfstream January 26 after an Allowance Optional Claiming score on that same track December 19. Her best stakes result came in August - a second in the minor P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga but she followed that with a fifth in the Grade 3 Miss Grillo and a sixth in the minor Chelsea Flower Stakes - both of those results at Belmont Park. Duff One has two wins and a second in seven career starts and is 6-1 on the morning line as she lines up in gate 8.

Kitten Kaboodle - Trainer Chad Brown sends out Kitten Kaboodle -winner of the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes by five lengths at Keeneland October 9. She had two career starts before the Jessamine and two seconds - both MSW races at Saratoga this past summer. Last time out was a very disappointing eleventh in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She hopes for a huge bounce back Saturday in a race that could reestablish Kitten Kaboodle as a serious Kentucky Oaks contender. Javier Castellano will be aboard for the first time from the rail on the co-8-1 fourth choice.

Jerry Love - has seven career starts already for trainer Michael Trombetta with two wins and a second place finish. She broke maiden in October at Keeneland and followed that with an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Laurel Park but has failed to place in her last two starts - a seventh in the minor Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream January 5 was followed by a fifth last time out in the minor Sweetest Chant Stakes also on that track January 26. Julien Leparoux will ride from post 4 at 8-1 odds.

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Ready's Legend - Todd Pletcher trained filly will make her stakes debut after five career starts produced two wins and a third place finish. She does enter on a two race win streak - an Allowance at Churchill Downs November 20 and a MSW at Hawthorne in October and she looks ready for her step up in competition. Edgard Prado will be in the reins from post 11 Ready's Legend is sent off at 12-1 odds.

Istanford - broke maiden in her debut in August for trainer Michael Stidham and went on to a fifth in the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes in September. Istanford followed that result with an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Fair Grounds December 19 but most recently fell back to earth with another fifth in the minor Silverbullerday Stakes January 18. Joe Rocco gets the call from gate 9 at 12-1 odds.

Interrupted - H. Graham Motion trained filly is 2-for-2 so far in her career but steps into stakes company for the first time Saturday. Last time out was an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Laurel Park way back on October 25 after breaking maiden in her debut on that same track in September. She is 15-1 on the morning line and departs from post 2.

Babe's Ruler - most recently finished second at the OBS Championship Stakes at Ocala Training Center January 21 in her fourth career start to follow a maiden score on this track December 22 and a second and a sixth respectively in a pair of MSW races. Babe's Ruler is 15-1 on the morning line and will depart from gate 3.

Spangled Banner - started her career with four MSW races which resulted in a win, a second and two third place finishes. She stepped into stakes company last time out finishing fourth in the minor Chispiki Stakes at Calder January 4. She takes off from gate 5 at 20-1 odds.

Runway Giant - had a win and a pair of seconds to start her career before she stepped up and finished fifth in her stakes debut - the Grade 3 Jessamine at Keeneland in October. Runaway Giant has placed in just one of three starts since - a third in the minor Gasparilla Stakes on this track January 4. Sandwiched around that result are a fourth last time out in the minor Suncoast Stakes here February 1 and a seventh in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs in November. Runaway Giant will line up in post 6 at 20-1 odds.

Annulment - makes her stakes debut Saturday after breaking maiden in her third career start at Keeneland October 26 and finishing third last time out in an Allowance at Churchill Downs November 20. She started her career with a third and a fourth at Churchill Downs in September - both results coming in MSW races. Gary Boulanger has the mount from post 7 at 20-1 odds.

Resistivity - Also Eligible Entry is coming off a third in the Grade 2 Forward Gal Stakes January 25 after breaking maiden in her third career start also on that track. She has a win, a second and a third place finish in four career starts and if given the chance to run should be competitive.

Grand Elmendorf - Also Eligible Entry has just one career start and it was a good one - a MSW score on this track February 2.


2014 Florida Oaks Entries & Odds

Race 10 on Tampa Bay Downs's Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:55 PM.

Entry Horse Jockey Trainer ML Odds
1 Kitten Kaboodle J. Castellano C. Brown
8-1
2 Interrupted A. Serpa H. Motion
15-1
3 Babe's Ruler D. Centeno J. Scott
15-1
4 Jerry Love J. Leparoux M. Trombetta
8-1
5 Spangled Banner F. De La Cruz E. Harty
20-1
6 Runway Giant R. Allen, Jr. I. Wilkes
20-1
7 Annulment G. Boulanger V. Oliver
20-1
8 Duff One E. Wilson G. Contessa
6-1
9 Istanford J. Rocco, Jr. M. Stidham
12-1
10 Miss Besilu S. Bridgmohan W. Mott
4-1
11 Ready's Legend E. Prado T. Pletcher
12-1
12 Testa Rossi (FR) J. Lezcano C. Brown
2-1
13 Resistivity J. Leparoux M. Casse
10-1
14 Grand Elmendorf A. Gallardo M. Sancal
30-1