Oeuvre kicks off 2023 with a win in the Nelson J. Menard Memorial Jan. 14 (Hodges Photography)
Keeneland Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Richard Perkins’ homebred Oeuvre, a winner of five consecutive races and nine of her past 10, headlines a field of 12 fillies and mares and three also-eligibles entered Wednesday for Saturday’s 26th running of the $250,000 Giant’s Causeway (L).
The 5½-furlong grass test will go as the eighth race on Saturday’s 11-race program with a 4:44 p.m. ET post time. First post Saturday is 1 p.m.
Trained by Chris Block, Oeuvre has won her past two races on the grass at Fair Grounds: the Mardi Gras (L) and the Nelson Menard Memorial. Jareth Loveberry retains the mount and will break from post position four.
Trainer Wesley Ward, who has won the Giant’s Causeway three times including last year with Campanelle (IRE), will send out two fillies making their 2023 debuts: Stonestreet Stables’ Twilight Gleaming (IRE) and Gayla Rankin’s Happy Soul.
Twilight Gleaming, winner of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) at Del Mar, will break from post 10 under Irad Ortiz Jr. Happy Soul, making her second grass start, will break from post three under John Velazquez.
Invading from California is Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables and Robert LaPenta’s Amy C (GB).
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Amy C has won her past two races with the most recent coming in the Las Cienegas (G3) at Santa Anita. Umberto Rispoli has the mount and will break from post position five.
The field for the Giant’s Causeway, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Train to Artemus (Frankie Dettori, 122 pounds), Creative Credit (Perry Ouzts, 122), Happy Soul (Velazquez, 122), Oeuvre (Loveberry, 122), Amy C (GB) (Rispoli, 124), Minaun (IRE) (Luis Saez, 122), Opening Buzz (Luan Machado, 122), Querobin Dourada (Joe Talamo, 122), Miner’s Queen (Flavien Prat, 122), Twilight Gleaming (IRE) (Irad Ortiz Jr., 122), Little Jewel (Javier Castellano, 122), Star Devine (IRE) (Jose Ortiz, 122). Also-Eligible: Mamba Wamba (IRE) (Julien Leparoux, 122), Sarah Harper (Prat, 122), Fast Giselle (Alex Achard, 122).
