Grace Hall heads strong Oaks field

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- They've been running the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs since 1875, the year the Derby made its debut. Although the 3-year-old fillies' Derby usually doesn't get much attention nationally, it's been a hot ticket for many years. Since 1998, only once has the Oaks Day crowd not surpassed 100,000.

Friday's 138th Oaks has an unusually deep and talented field of 14. Three-time stakes winner Grace Hall is a deserving 5-2 morning-line favorite for trainer Tony Dutrow, and there's plenty of quality opposing her. On Fire Baby, 2-for-2 at Churchill, is the 4-1 second choice, and Bob Baffert is high on Eden's Moon, dismissed at 12-1. Eden's Moon had a foot problem before finishing third March 31 at odds-on in the Santa Anita Oaks. She's trained impressively, and if she isn't drained by a hot pace, she'll be a live long shot.

Another price play is Summer Applause (15-1). "Every one of her races she's been finishing strong,'' trainer Bret Calhoun said. "There's a lot of speed in there, and it sets up well for her. I think a mile-and-an-eighth is what she wants.''

Grace Hall and On Fire Baby probably will stalk the pace in the 11/8-mile Grade I with a $1-million purse. Eden's Moon and Todd Pletcher's 4-for-5 Broadway's Alibi are confirmed front-runners, and Yara, Karlovy Vary and Believe You Can also are quick early. Only Grace Hall has won at 9 furlongs, and post 2 should help jockey Javier Castellano get position and save ground.