Grade 1 winners Clairiere and Secret Oath will make their first starts since respective third- and fifth-place finishes in the Nov. 5 Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) when they race March 11 at Oaklawn Park in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2). The Azeri is a 1 1/16-mile dirt event for older fillies and mares that serves as the final local prep for $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn, run this year April 15.
A homebred for Stonestreet Stables, Clairiere has breezed at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots this winter for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. The daughter of Curlin raced six times during her 4-year-old year in 2022, topped by wins in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) and Shuvee Stakes (G2), along with a runner-up finish in the Apple Blossom. She finished her 2022 season with a close third in the Breeders' Cup behind Malathaat and Blue Stripe.
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With a record of 6-4-3 from 16 starts, the 5-year-old mare has earnings of over $2 million. She will look to make the Azeri her fifth win in graded company.
"Obviously, Clairiere's a very special mare and very fortunate to have her in training," said Asmussen. "Hopefully, we'll get her year started off right."
Secret Oath, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, seeks her first win since the Kentucky Oaks (G1) this past May at Churchill Downs. Her other starts last year included earlier wins in the Martha Washington Stakes and the Honeybee Stakes (G3), second-place finishes in both the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Alabama Stakes (G1), a third in the Cotillion Stakes (G1), and a fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1).
The 4-year-old Arrogate filly has worked regularly at the Hot Springs oval since the beginning of the year and will be making her 14th start for owner/breeder Briland Farm. From a record of 5-2-3, she has banked $1,768,417 in two years of racing.
"I don't think she's going to change much," Lukas said of his filly from age 3 to 4. "I still think she's got that explosive kick."
Brad Cox trainee Interstatedaydream returns from a more extended layoff than the Breeders' Cup-participating duo. The 4-year-old daughter of Classic Empire earned back-to-back graded stakes wins last year in the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) and Indiana Oaks (G3) before a runner-up start in the Cathryn Sophia Stakes in August. She then went to the sidelines.
The filly is campaigned by Flurry Racing Stables, who purchased her for $175,000 from Wavertree Stables' consignment to the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. She has earned $498,825 from seven starts.
Other entrants include multiple stakes winner Lovely Ride, a 5-year-old daughter of Candy Ride looking for her first win in graded company after a second last out in the Feb. 4 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for trainer Robertino Diodoro and owners John Holleman, Flying P Stable, and Larry Nafe.
Completing the field are domestic stakes winners Moon Swag, Hidden Connection, and Hot and Sultry, plus Chilean stakes winner Le Da Vida, also grade 3-placed in the U.S.
Oaklawn Park, Saturday, March 11, 2023, Race 9Entries: Azeri S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Secret Oath (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 119 D. Wayne Lukas 5/2 2 2Lovely Ride (KY) Cristian A. Torres 124 Robertino Diodoro 15/1 3 3Clairiere (KY) Joel Rosario 119 Steven M. Asmussen 6/5 4 4Le Da Vida (CHI) Vincent Cheminaud 119 Ignacio Correas, IV 15/1 5 5Interstatedaydream (ON) Florent Geroux 119 Brad H. Cox 3/1 6 6Hidden Connection (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 117 W. Bret Calhoun 15/1 7 7Hot and Sultry (KY) David Cabrera 119 Norm W. Casse 20/1 8 8Moon Swag (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 121 Brendan P. Walsh 20/1
