Quietside before finishing 3rd in the Alcibiades (G1) Oct. 4 at Keeneland (Courtney Snow/Past The Wire)
Robert Yates/Oaklawn Park
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Oaklawn Park’s first of three Kentucky Oaks qualifying races is headed by Quietside, one of the country’s leading 2-year-old fillies of 2024.
A homebred for Arkansan John Ed Anthony’s Shortleaf Stable, Quietside will be making her 3-year-old debut in the Martha Washington, bumped to a record $300,000 this year after previously being worth $250,000.
The Martha Washington will offer 42 total points (20-10-6-4-2, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks. Oaklawn’s Kentucky Oaks prep series continues with the $500,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) Feb. 22 and the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) March 29.
Thorpedo Anna swept the Fantasy and Kentucky Oaks en route to 2024 Horse of the Year honors.
Quietside completed her 2-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish behind Good Cheer in the $400,000 Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs. Quietside is the 8-5 program favorite in the projected six-horse Martha Washington field.
“Quietside’s amazing,” trainer John Ortiz said. “She hasn’t missed a beat. We’re on the same page as the whole country is right now (weather): Light training. But I don’t want to change her routine. She’s as happy and ready as a I can possibly have her.”
Oaklawn has lost more than 10 days of training in January to winter weather. Still, Quietside has a class edge on her opponents after chasing some of the country’s top 2-year-old fillies, including Immersive and Good Cheer.
A daughter of Malibu Moon, Quietside won her Aug. 4 career debut at Saratoga by 6 ¼ lengths, then finished second behind Immersive in the $300,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) Aug. 31 at Saratoga. Quietside, in her two-turn debut, finished third behind Immersive in the $600,000 Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Quietside was beaten 2 ½ lengths by Good Cheer in the Golden Rod.
QUIETSIDE breaks her maiden dominantly in the first race at #Saratoga with @luissaezpty aboard for trainer @johnnyortiz24. pic.twitter.com/kGHkj6p0MR
— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 4, 2024
Immersive was named the country’s champion 2-year-old filly Thursday night. Stablemate Good Cheer, also unbeaten, was a finalist for an Eclipse Award.
Ortiz tapped eight-time Oaklawn leading jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride Quietside for the first time in the Martha Washington. She will break from the rail. Unbeaten Her Laugh (2 for 2) is the early 2-1 second choice.
“It’s a small field and you’ve just to play the break and let the race set up before the first turn,” Ortiz said. “Ricardo’s going to have to make all his decisions as he goes into the first turn, where he wants to have her placed, whether he wants to be on the rail or tip her out and let somebody else have it.”
Quietside, based on her finishes in the Alcibiades and Golden Rod, has eight Kentucky Oaks qualifying points.
Anthony is seeking a record-tying 39th career Oaklawn stakes victory. The late John Franks won 39 Oaklawn stakes races, the last coming in 2000.
