Awake at Midnyte Hopes to Punch Kentucky Oaks Ticket in Today's Central Bank Ashland

Trainer Doug O’Neill is hoping that a quick trip to Lexington will pay huge dividends this afternoon when he saddles Reddam Racing’s Awake At Midnyte in the 85^th running of the $600,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1). 

“She’s a talented filly,” O’Neill said Friday morning of the daughter of Nyquist, who was third in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds in her most recent start on Feb. 19. 

Awake At Midnyte has earned 14 points toward the $1.25 Kentucky Oaks (G1) and can pad that total in the Central Bank Ashland, which has 170 points up for grabs on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first- through fourth-place finishers. The Oaks is limited to the top 14 point earners that pass the entry box. 

O’Neill opted to ship Awake At Midnyte to Keeneland instead of staying home for Saturday’s Santa Anita Oaks (G2). 

“We made the decision to ship because this race is a Grade 1 and the Santa Anita race is a Grade 2, and it made sense to jump on a plane and ship,” O’Neill said. “Should she run well, she would stay in Kentucky (for the Oaks) and not ship back.” 

Immediately after the race, O’Neill will catch a flight back to California, where he will send out Happy Jack and Win the Day in tomorrow’s Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) in hopes of earning a Kentucky Derby spot or two. 

O’Neill and Reddam Racing already have one Derby-bound runner in Sunland Park Derby (G3) winner Slow Down Andy, who has accumulated 60 points toward the Kentucky Derby and ranks eighth on the leaderboard. He is stabled at Keeneland.