McPeek Trio Take Aim at KY Oaks in Silverbulletday

The road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) goes through Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots Jan. 18 when eight fillies take aim at the first Friday in May at Churchill Downs in the Silverbulletday Stakes. A trio of 3-year-olds enter the one-mile, 70-yard challenge on the main track with a chance to improve their record to a perfect 2-for-2 and fast-track their path to the Oaks. The top five finishers will earn points toward a spot in the Oaks starting gate on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale. Trainer Kenny McPeek, who won last year's Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna, brings three of his finest fillies. Gowells Delight broke her maiden at Fair Grounds the day after Christmas. The daughter of Practical Joke went 1 1/16 miles, besting her closest rival by 5 1/2 lengths. Another of McPeek's charges, Golden Gamble, comes in at 1-1-1 from three starts and has Brian Hernandez Jr. in the irons. Hernandez guided Thorpedo Anna to wins in the Oaks and Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), among others. Hernandez rode Golden Gamble to a nine-length maiden win Nov. 23 at Churchill Downs, followed by a second-place finish in the Untapable Stakes Dec. 21 at Fair Grounds. McPeek's third runner is She's a Swede, who broke her maiden last time out in her third career start. Looking to get her second win in as many starts is Chasten, a daughter of six-time leading sire Into Mischief. The Juddmonte homebred, trained by Brad Cox, is a half sister to 2023 champion older dirt female Idiomatic and is returning after winning a Nov. 30 maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. Also heading into Saturday's race perfect after one start is Simply Joking, a daughter of Practical Joke. She will run on familiar ground, having won the Letellier Memorial Stakes by a neck at Fair Grounds Dec. 21. The Whit Beckman trainee is favored at 3-1 on the morning line and is the only black-type winner in the field. "She only had six furlongs to overcome a pretty bad trip," Beckman said of the Letellier Memorial. "She just had to react and then go, and she overcame all of it. After all that, going one mile and 70 yards would seemingly make it easier if we do run into a little adversity (in the Silverbulletday). I don't know if I learned anything about her from that race, it just confirmed what we had been seeing—she is a really nice filly." Beckman also entered Legion Racing's Drexel Hill, a maiden winner who finished fifth last out in the Untapable Stakes.