Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) winner Life of Joy has been withdrawn from Kentucky Oaks (G1) consideration due to a minor setback. The news was first reported April 14 by Churchill Downs' Kevin Kerstein and confirmed to BloodHorse by trainer Brad Cox the morning of April 15.
Life of Joy ranked second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 122 points and was expected to be among the top betting choices. Racing for the partnership of Will Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm, and For the People Racing Stable, Life of Joy has a record of 3-1-0 from five starts for earnings of $420,620.
Cox told Kerstein that the 3-year-old Gun Runner filly will be pointed to a fall campaign.
The updated point leaderboard for the May 1 Kentucky Oaks provided by Churchill Downs also showed the defection of Lael Stables' Luv Your Neighbor, who was third behind Life of Joy in the Fair Grounds Oaks. The Michael Stidham-trained Constitution filly had been listed as on the fence in the previous leaderboard update sent April 11.
With the two defections, NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods' Paradise, another Cox trainee who won the Busher Stakes and was most recently third in the Gazelle Stakes (G3), and Jill Baffert's grade 1 winner Bottle of Rouge, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, have drawn into the 14-horse field.
Next up on the bubble hoping to get in (in order of preference based on point totals) are Lorelei Lee, Brooklyn Blonde, Dazzling Dame, Lovely Grey, and Nycon.
