Virginia Oaks: You’ll Be Back seeks breakthrough win

Trainer Tom Amoss’ group of stakes runners arrived at Colonial Downs with Virginia Derby runner Authentic Gallop joining stablemates You’ll Be Back and Low Key, two of the eight fillies entered in Saturday’s 1 1/16 miles $250,000 Virginia Oaks.

Stakes-placed in her last two starts at Oaklawn Park, Greenwell Thoroughbreds’ You’ll Be Back is the 9-2 third choice in the morning line. The Practical Joke filly will be faced with her steepest distance test to date, having raced at six furlongs last out in the Dixie Belle and one mile in the Year’s End.

“We had a really tough trip last time,” Amoss said. “Her only other attempt at a route of ground was right after her (maiden) win at Fair Grounds. I did not think she relaxed well in that race. How much of that is her being able to get the two turns and how much of that is maybe trainer’s error, not teaching her to relax a little better, I don’t know the answer to that, but we feel she’s prepared to understand that she needs to rate here.”

You’ll Be Back broke her maiden at the Fair Grounds. Photo Hodges Photography.

You’ll Be Back will be guided by Javier Castellano from post 6.

Drawing to her inside in post 2, Joel Politi’s Low Key exits her maiden-breaking score over a sloppy track at Fair Grounds.

“The best part of her race was the last portion of it,” Amoss said. “We’ve known that the further the better for her and that’s how we’ve tried to race her. She’s got the race under her belt. Joel Politi, the owner, said ‘Let’s give it a roll,’ so that’s what we are going to do.”

Sheldon Russell is named to ride the daughter of Bolt d’Oro, who was tabbed at 10-1 in the morning line.

The winning horse in the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks will receive 50 points toward the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) or the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively. The second- through fifth-place finishers will earn 25-15-10-5 points. First post for Saturday’s 10-race card is noon ET. The Virginia Derby is scheduled as Race 9 and the Virginia Oaks, Race 8.

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