Simply Enchanting Update

Simply Enchanting returned to a jogging routine 10 days ago and has jogged for about a week total given a few days off due to weather. See the video above of her on the track earlier this week.

 

We did have one minor scare over the last few days as she was carrying a tiny bit of fluid in her right front ankle. She has always been 100% sound since returning from New Mexico, but out of precaution, trainer Phil D’Amato had diagnostics performed. Phil did say she had two cuts on the inside of the right ankle from her race which were likely caused when getting sandwiched at the top of the lane, but the lingering inflammation (though minor) presented itself as a potential bone chip. X-rays returned clean of any chips, but an MRI was recommended by Dr. Ryan Carpenter due to one suspicious view on her X-rays. Thankfully, everything returned clean and she was cleared to resume training as normal. She only missed one day of training due to the MRI and will pick back up galloping in the next few days.

Simply Enchanting Update

Simply Enchanting returned to the track this morning at Santa Anita. While she was supposed to go back to the track last Thursday, the daughter of Nyquist spiked a temperature and a routine blood sample came back a little off. This was likely caused by her travels and never escalated to anything more than a minor temperature.

Following a few days of walking and antibiotics, her temp returned to normal, and she received the green light to jog this morning. Our 3-year-old filly will gradually pick up the pace and return to a normal training routine in the coming days

Simply Enchanting Post Race Update

Simply Enchanting exited her recent third-place finish in the Sunland Park Oaks in good order and returned to Santa Anita late last night. With weather hitting the Arcadia area, the track will potentially re-open Thursday and she will likely have a light leg-stretching jog. Assistant trainer Julie Witt passed along a video of Ella (Simply Enchanting’s barn name) back in her stall this morning who was very alert during a rainy morning at Santa Anita. The daughter of Nyquist earned a 63 Beyer Speed Figure, see above for her updated past performances. We will report back with any news as she returns to a normal training routine.

Simply Enchanting Race Overview

Tomorrow marks a big moment for your daughter of Nyquist as she will compete for Kentucky Oaks points in the Sunland Park Oaks. The Sunland Park Oaks, which was first held in 2001, offers Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to its top five finishers on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. California-based runners have historically done very well in the race, including a stretch from 2007 to 2019 when Bob Baffert won eight of 12 renewals (another California shipper took one of the other runnings in that span). That 2011 winner Plum Pretty took the Sunland Park Oaks by a jaw-dropping 25 lengths, and would go on to grab the lilies in Louisville in her next start.

Carded as the 7th race of the day, Simply Enchanting will break from post 2 in a field of six horses in her two-turn debut. Since her maiden victory on January 21st, your daughter of Nyquist has returned to work twice, highlighted by a five-furlong drill in :59.20 eight days before this race. Simply Enchanting departed California on Wednesday morning in order to acclimate to her new surroundings and has galloped three days over the Sunland Park surface. All reports have been positive and we will follow up with direct words from your trainer Phil D’Amato in the morning.

When looking at the field from a competition standpoint it’s hard to ask for a much better spot to make a stakes debut but she will have to overcome four things; shipping, two-turns, facing winners, and the altitude in New Mexico. On the thoro-graph sheets, her debut figure of 7 1/4 is a clear standout in this field. If she can repeat that effort or take a step forward under the new circumstances she appears as the one everyone will have to beat.

About the competition:

#1 Candy Aisle (2/1): Daughter of Gun Runner has rattled off three stake wins in a row. Her pedigree certainly indicates she will be able to handle the distance and is a winner over the surface. Half-sibling to Offering Plan and Nineeleventurbo. The deserving morning-line favorite.

#3 Floating Beauty (8/1): Daughter of Cloud Computing was an impressive MSW winner at Delta Downs on debut but could not take the step forward when facing better at Oaklawn or Fair Grounds. She will hold an experience and fitness edge going the route of ground on two occasions. Don’t completely dismiss at a price.

#4 Raspberry Wine (5/1): CA-bred will have to get much faster to win this. She was third in the Borderplex S. Going six and one-half furlongs at Sunland most recently.

#5 Recharge (5/2): Homebred for the successful Ron Winchell. This daughter of Gun Runner is regally bred being a half-sibling to both MGSW Finite and Reride but given the connections debuted this one at Remington Park and blew her first condition at Sam Houston tells you maybe they didn’t feel she has a ton of ability. Still can’t knock her as she is undefeated in two starts and has gone the distance already but this will be a step up in class.

#6 Methods (6/1): Debut MSW winner at Sunland Park will have home court advantage. She will face winners and try two turns for the first time like Simply Enchanting but the group this one faced on debut was much weaker as a whole.