Plum Pretty wins the Oaks, holding off St. John’s River

Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky.

The first time Bob Baffert saw filly Plum Pretty, he turned to owner John Fort and asked him if he got the name right.

“Did you say her name was Plum Pretty or plum ugly?” Baffert said with a laugh.

The way the trainer’s blossoming star ran in Friday’s $1 million Kentucky Oaks, perhaps Plum Perfect would have been just as appropriate.

The filly and jockey Martin Garcia got Baffert’s big weekend off to a rollicking start, taking charge at the top of the stretch then holding off St. John’s River by a neck to give the Hall of Famer his second victory in the female version of the Kentucky Derby.

No trainer has won both the Oaks and the Derby in the same year since Ben Jones did it in 1952. Baffert will saddle Midnight Interlude in the Run for the Roses today as he goes for his fourth Derby triumph.

Plum Pretty stalked early leader Summer Soiree before Garcia moved her to the front as the 13-horse field turned for home. She surged to the lead and needed every bit of it to turn away a late bid from St. John’s River.

Summer Soiree, owned by Team Valor International which includes Bruce Zoldan of Youngstown, led out of the gate to the final turn but faded to a 10th-place finish.

In front of a crowd of 110,000, the third-largest in Oaks history, Plum Pretty paid $14.60, $7 and $4.60 while covering the distance in 1:49.50.

St. John’s River, however, made Plum Pretty earn it.

St. John’s River paid $13.20 and $7.20 to show.

Zazu, owned by Jerry and Ann Moss — who also own retired superstar mare Zenyatta — paid $4 to show.