OZONE PARK, N.Y – Condo Commando returned to the work tab Thursday at Aqueduct with a half-mile move in 48.67 seconds in preparation for the $1 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 1.

It was the fastest of nine breezes at the distance Thursday morning and the first breeze for Condo Commando since her 2 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Gazelle Stakes at Aqueduct on April 4.

ARCADIA, Calif.- Papacoolpapacool will be a heavy favorite in Saturday’s $75,000 La Puente Stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at Santa Anita. The race could be his ticket out of town.

Trainer Phil D’Amato said on Thursday that Papacoolpapacool could be sent to Penn National for the $500,000 Penn Mile for 3-year-olds on turf May 30 if he wins Saturday.

“If he runs well, we’ll take a look at that race,” he said. “It’s one step at a time.”

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – Two of the leading candidates for this year’s Kentucky Derby, Frosted and Upstart, had a very good morning Thursday at Palm Meadows.

The presence of My Miss Sophia in the Doubledogdare Stakes on Friday at Keeneland might have triggered fans to think of an older mare with a similar name: Don’t Tell Sophia.

Second to Untapable in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last fall at Santa Anita, Don’t Tell Sophia is nearing her first breeze of the year, according to Keeneland-based trainer Phil Sims.

“I’m ready to start tightening the screws on her,” said Sims. “The main goal is to get her back to the Breeders’ Cup here in October, so we’re working backward from there and just taking our time with her.”

Trainer Ingrid Mason has lined up Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens to ride Sarah Sis in the Kentucky Oaks, agent Craig O’Bryan confirmed this week. Sarah Sis most recently finished fifth in the April 4 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park.

An oversubscribed field of 3-year-old fillies is holding together so far for the Oaks, led by Condo Commando, I’m a Chatterbox, Stellar Wind, Birdatthewire, and Lovely Maria. The points-eligibility system used to limit the field to 14 starters has not been needed for the Oaks since its 2013 inception.

Eh Cumpari will run in New York

Field size averages barely more than six horses per race during the first half of a 10-race Friday program at Keeneland, but things pick up after that. Besides the Grade 3 Doubledogdare Stakes, the latter portion of the card also includes a remarkably deep first-level allowance for 3-year-olds (race 7).

The $60,000, six-furlong race matches a field of 11 that drew a handful of flashy maiden winners in their last starts, including Data Driven for Chad Brown, First Spark (Pletcher), Harvey (Bret Calhoun), and Chief Istan (Larry Jones).

Trainer Todd Pletcher has confirmed Protonico, a five-length winner of the Grade 3 Ben Ali here last weekend, for the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs on the May 1 Kentucky Oaks undercard.

Pletcher said Stopchargingmaria, second in the Grade 1 Madison on opening weekend, will run back in the Grade 1 La Troienne, also on the Oaks card, while adding “we have not ruled out” the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on the May 2 Kentucky Derby undercard for Jack Milton, the winner of the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile last Friday.

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Saturday highlight at Keeneland is supposed to be the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes for older turf marathoners, but perhaps the most notable race is an otherwise-nondescript allowance for 3-year-olds.

Hootenanny, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last fall at Santa Anita, makes his 3-year-old debut in the fourth of 10 races, a 5 1/2-furlong turf allowance with wide-open conditions and a $64,000 purse.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Jimmy Jerkens was planning to run Classic Point in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct but has reversed course and will now point the 6-year-old mare to the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs on May 2, Kentucky Derby Day.

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Stablemates Wicked Strong and V. E. Day each put in a stamina-building workout Wednesday at Belmont Park as they prepare for their next engagements.

Wicked Strong, last year’s Wood Memorial winner, worked a mile in 1:42.28 over the training track and will make his next start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Excelsior at Aqueduct on April 25.

Breaking off at the half-mile pole under exercise rider Kelvin Pahal, Wicked Strong went his first half-mile in 51.09 seconds and his last half-mile in 50.17. He galloped out 1 1/8 miles in 1:56.38.