Horse racing newsletter: Louis Rabaut’s Kentucky Oaks rankings are here

RACETRACKERS bumped at the start, chased inside then two wide into the stretch, brushed with ZERO DOWN in upper stretch, drifted out through the lane and rallied to get up late. STORM SEEKER off alertly from outside, set the pace under pressure, dueled outside a rival through the turn, bumped in upper stretch, cleared inside rival but could not stave off the winner. ZERO DOWN chased off the rail, steadied off heels nearing the seven-sixteenths, brushed with inside rival past the three-sixteenths pole, floated out in the stretch then forced out at the sixteenth pole and finished willingly. COUNT TOLSTOY off a bit slow and checked between rivals at the start, moved closer up the backstretch then bid three deep into the turn, lost contact midway around the bend, came five wide into the stretch and weakened. SQUARE ROOT pressed the pace from inside, dueled around the turn and into the stretch, bumped with outside rival past the three-sixteenths and weakened in the final furlong. STING LIKE A BEE bumped with inside rival at the start, dropped back early, went two wide around the turn and was never a factor.

GAMINE drifted out some early while established the front, set the pace off the rail, went three then two wide around the turn, asked once right-handed in upper stretch and widened while ridden out. QAHIRA chased GAMINE from inside, saved ground into the stretch and bested the rest. BIDDY DUKE chased behind the pacesetter outside rivals, went five wide into the turn, angled down to the two path around the bend and was outkicked for the place. HANG A STAR chased between into the turn, dropped back around the bend, came three wide into the stretch and weakened.

HONEY JAR away quickly in the beginning, prompted the pace from outside to the stretch, took over and bumped rival in upper stretch, then powered away under hand urging. KALON stalked the top pair from inside to the stretch, put in tight quarters and steadied in upper stretch, gained a clear path and finished well for the place honors. BROOKLYNS BEST stalked between rivals then three to four wide into the stretch and edged IRISH AURA for the show. IRISH AURA set the pace with HONEY JAR applying pressure, carried a short lead into the stretch, lost command and got bumped in upper stretch, then weakened in the final furlong. CLEVER INTRUSION off slow to begin, raced two wide into the turn, a bit off the rail into the stretch, got bumped late by WILD RIDE and never made an impact. WILD RIDE forwardly placed outside rivals, went three deep around the turn, three wide into the stretch, weakened then drifted in and bumped rival late.

SIMMER DOWN pressed from outside then dueled on the backstretch, cleared foe past the halfway point, challenged again a quarter mile out, turned away foe into the stretch and stayed clear to the wire. CIRCLE OF HONOR had good early speed, set the pace inside the dueled with SIMMER DOWN on the backstretch, chased that rival past the half-mile pole, switched off the rail and re-bid outside the leader at the quarter pole, could not sustain momentum into the drive and kept on to secure the place. PAYNTER'S LOVE tracked the pace from inside to the stretch and was along for the show. ESJA went two wide then between rivals around the first turn, chased outside a rival on the backstretch, two wide then between on the final turn and got edged for the show. AVISSE traveled mid-pack outside rivals, chased three deep at the quarter pole and failed to produce a bid. SEE YOU AT THE TOP got bumped from outside leaving the gate, tucked inside on the first turn, came off the rail on the backstretch, advanced four wide or four deep on the far turn, then weakened in the late stages. JAXONS TOUR GUIDE stumbled badly, shifted in and bumped rival at the start, trailed 2wide into the stretch and never got involved.

RESPECTFULLY bumped by SMOOTHLIKEBUTTAH at the start, dueled inside of SQUARED SHADY throughout, inched ahead in the final furlong and was all out to prevail. SQUARED SHADY dueled for the lead from outside into and around the turn and into the stretch, battled through the final furlong but got outkicked by the winner. SUPER GAME stumbled a bit at the start, tracked outside a rival then angled three wide leaving the turn, five wide upper stretch, closed fast and was gaining on the top pair. SMOOTHLIKEBUTTAH saved ground around the turn, tipped out in upper stretch, gained a minor award but needed more in deep stretch. HOT RAGEOUS stalked on the inside into and around the turn and flattened in the final furlong. WESTWARD BREEZE in range while outside a rival, took the turn two wide, moved out at the top of the lane and weakened.

UNO TROUBLE MAKER dueled outside BRILLIANT BIRD to the stretch, kicked clear nearing the furlong grounds and was kept to task in deep stretch. YOU WANNA EAR RIP stumbled and broke outward, sat off the pace, angled in and advanced inside through the turn, came off the rail in the drive and rallied for second. BRILLIANT BIRD dueled for the lead from inside to the stretch, could not go on with the winner approaching the eighth pole and lost the place. ZILLINDA settled off the inside, took the turn two then three wide and never rallied. KIRSCH TRUFFLE hopped at the start, spotting the field several lengths, went four then five wide around the turn and failed to menace. ZELAIA showed brief speed then dropped back to chase outside a rival, came four wide into the stretch and had little left. TODOS SANTOS broke out, traveled at the rear of the field, took the turn five then six wide and was never a factor.

GO BIG BLUE NATION traveled at the back of the pace outside a rival, swung widest into the stretch, flew late and reeled in the runner-up near the wire. ROCKING REDHEAD sped to the front, set all the pace to the stretch, led clear into the final sixteenth and got caught in the final moments. CARPE VINUM tracked the pacesetter off the inside, moved into the two path then angled in around the final turn and saved ground into the stretch, moved off the inside in the lane, finished willingly and held the show. MOONHALL MILLY (IRE) stalked from inside, shied from the rail entering the clubhouse turn, steadied briefly approaching the three-quarter pole, remained inside then came two wide into the stretch, showed a mild response and missed the show. CATCH THE EYE sat off the pace near the inside, saved ground into the drive, gained ground in the late stages but was never a threat. LUCKY PERIDOT jumped the track crossing surfaces early, raced outside rivals then settled in the two path, angled inside rival near the quarter pole, tipped out in upper stretch and could not rally. ON MARS pulled into and through the stretch for the first time then was guided out into the clear, went four wide into the clubhouse turn and chased off the rail to the stretch, had her rider lost his whip at the eighth pole and faded.

PAID INFORMANT settled off the pace, traveled along the inside into the turn, exited the bend two wide, moved out in upper stretch, reeled in the leader approaching the furlong pole and won going away under hand urging and geared down near the wire. MAJESTIC GIGI showed keen early foot, set the pace well clear while off the inside, padded the lead around the turn, held a diminishing lead in upper stretch, lost command at the eighth pole and kept on to secure the place. KELANI KIM was closest in pursuit up the backstretch, went two to three wide around the turn and finished evenly. FLATTERWITHJEWELS tracked off the rail, entered the turn three wide, exited four wide, drifted inward in the drive and never rallied. BLUEGRASS SKY trailed the field and steered to the inside, hugged the rail to the stretch and was never a factor.

ULTIMATE HY tossed head and came away a bit slow to start, stalked from inside then came out and bumped rival exiting the far turn, struck the front in upper stretch, moved clear near the furlong pole, met the challenge from KEEP DANCING in the final furlong and held gamely. KEEP DANCING off a bit slow from inside, trailed through the early stages, went outside a rival into the far turn, came out into the stretch, rallied outside the ULTIMATE HY but could not get by. SLEW SOUTH broke out and bumped rival at the start, sat off the pace, came three wide into the drive, angled out in upper stretch and gained the show. ARISTEIA hopped at the start, pulled and checked early then angled to the inside, settled off the pace, went two wide into the lane, lacked room and checked hard in upper stretch, moved to a clear path and kept on for a minor award. WISHTHEYALLCOULDBE got bumped by SLEW SOUTH at the start, went four wide into the first turn then chased outside rivals, settled in mid-pack while outside ARISTEIA on the backstretch, angled six wide entering the stretch and could not rally. SUPERSONIC FLYER lunged at the start but came away quickest, vied for the lead into the first turn then pressed from outside, took the lead midway around the far turn, cleared into the stretch then gave way. PISTACHIO PRINCESS pulled early then stalked outside a rival, chased outside the top pair into the far turn, got bumped the winner and bobbled leaving the second turn and weakened. PHOENIX TEARS vied for the lead into the first turn then took control around the bend, set the pace under pressure from outside, challenged again around the far turn, relinquished command at the five-sixteenths, chased the leader into the lane and tired.