Yes Ma'am, a half sister to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mystik Dan, is scheduled to make her career debut Dec. 29 in the seventh race at Oaklawn Park, a six-furlong maiden special weight event that is among the highlights of the track's third annual program exclusively for 2-year-olds.
Yes Ma'am and Mystik Dan are both out of Ma'am, who broke her maiden at the 2016 Oaklawn meeting for trainer Kenny McPeek. McPeek also conditions Mystik Dan, but Yes Ma'am is trained by John Ortiz.
"Physically, I think they look alike," Ortiz said, referring to Yes Ma'am and Mystik Dan. "She has a very fiery, forward kind of mentality. So, she's got like a winner's attitude. Hopefully, that transitions to the afternoons. You never know until those gates open in the afternoon."
Yes Ma'am has eight published workouts since Nov. 2, the last four at Oaklawn. She completed major preparations for her debut with a half-mile gate drill in :48 Dec. 22. Ramon Vazquez is named to ride Yes Ma'am from post 8 with 12-1 morning-line odds.
"She'll develop into a two-turn horse," Ortiz said. "She's shown some talent in the morning."
Yes Ma'am is a homebred for Lance Gasaway of Star City, Ark., 4G Racing (Brent and Sharilyn Gasaway of Little Rock, Ark.) and Hot Springs, Ark., native "Banks" Daniel Hamby III.
Gasaway, 4 G and Hamby also bred and race Mystik Dan. Hamby's younger brother, Scott, who races under the Valley View Farm banner, purchased an interest in Mystik Dan following his victory in the $800,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) last February at Oaklawn.
Yes Ma'am is by multiple graded stakes winner Unified . After recommending Ma'am be bred to Goldencents (resulting in Mystik Dan), McPeek steered the ownership group toward Unified, Lance Gasaway said.
"He said from the sales he (worked), he thought he was producing the best-looking babies," Gasaway added.
Sharilyn Gasaway named the filly. It was 4G's turn, in the ownership rotation, to name a horse and a trainer to employ. Ortiz and 4G had a prior business relationship, campaigning, among others, Hollis, who set Oaklawn's 5 1/2-furlong track record (1:02.17) in a December 2021 allowance race.
"So, we sent her to John and John's dad in Florida," Sharilyn Gasaway said. "I had originally had a named saved, 'Universe,' because I was hoping it would be a colt. When it was a filly, I was like: 'Crap, now what am I going to name it?' I wanted something that had to do with Ma'am and just came up with Yes Ma'am. That's all the significance I can tell you. Lance loved it, so it was OK."
Lance Gasaway and Banks Hamby also raced Ma'am with Greg and David Gasaway.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
