Bob Baffert has an embarrassment of riches on his hands when it comes to classy 3-year-old fillies.
Grade I winner Bottle of Rouge (Vino Rosso) joined stablemates Explora (Blame) and Forced Entry (Charlatan) in the top five slots of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard Saturday with her dominant win in the second running of the Virginia Oaks.
Making her second start of the year, Bottle of Rouge crossed the country to Colonial Downs off a 1 1/2-length score in the Sunland Park Oaks Feb. 15. She spent the entirety of her juvenile campaign in California, jumping right from a maiden special weight to Grade I company in the Del Mar Debutante, a race in which she defeated her aforementioned stablemate, Explora.
“I thought it was a good run,” added Flavien Prat, who enjoyed a five-win day on the card Saturday. “She’s improving race after race and continues to show she can handle more distance.”