HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Though Five G will be labeled one of the speed horses going into the Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs, trainer George Weaver said he doesn’t view his filly as strictly a need-the-lead type.
Yes, she won Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks by 2 1/4 lengths in front-running fashion, but Weaver said that was just how the race came up.
Five G has been a front-running factor in all three of her starts this year. She won the Cash Run Stakes, a one-turn-mile race, by nine lengths on New Year’s Day. In February, in the Honeybee Stakes in which she finished second to Quietside, Five G was sent to the front in part because she drew post 13. On Saturday, she found herself on the lead when none of the other speed horses went forward.
“I’m still not convinced that she needs to dictate the pace, that ended up being her style [Saturday],” Weaver said Sunday morning. “It’s hard when you’re even money not to just keep it uncomplicated. She might produce an even better race sitting off it, but it’s hard to take away that natural speed she has.”
To date, Five G has run as far as 1 1/16 miles. The Kentucky Oaks is run at 1 1/8 miles. Five G is a New York-bred daughter of Vekoma, who won the Grade 1 Blue Grass at 1 1/8 miles.
“I don’t feel like there’s anything about her past performances or about her physically that makes me that concerned about an extra sixteenth of a mile,” Weaver said.
Weaver said Five G came out of her Gulfstream Oaks victory in good order. He will likely keep her at the Palm Beach Downs training center for at least a few weeks.
“The question is whether we want to work over the Churchill surface or not,” Weaver said. “Right now, I’d be leaning towards going in there and running her - I feel like they either like the surface or they don’t. We’ll see how she trains and go from there, but she’ll stay here for at least a couple of weeks.”
Meanwhile, Gulfstream Oaks runner-up Anna’s Promise will soon ship to Keeneland while her connections mull a possible start in the Kentucky Oaks, trainer Carlos David said.
Anna’s Promise, in her stakes debut coming off a first-level allowance win, finished second by 10 1/4 lengths over third-place finisher Cassiar.
Anna’s Promise earned 50 qualifying points to get into the Oaks. David said he wants to make sure that’s enough to get into the 14-horse field, review the possible make-up of the field and watch his filly train before making a decision on whether or not to run. David said he will share a barn with his cousin, John Ortiz, who trains Quietside, who won Saturday’s Fantasy at Oaklawn.
“It makes sense to be in Kentucky, I’m going to be there most of the [Keeneland] meet, I want her to be where I’m going to be,” David said. “Depending on how she’s training and moving forward will determine whether we go there or the Black-Eyed Susan.”
The Black-Eyed Susan is a 1 1/8-mile race at Pimlico two weeks after the Kentucky Oaks.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.