Photo:

Fair Grounds / Amanda Hodges Weir / Hodges Photography

The Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds will be worth only half of its originally allotted Kentucky Oaks qualifying points with the scratches of three of the seven entrants. Those scratches include Silverbulletday Stakes winner Simply Joking, Ballerina d’Oro and Anonima.

Trainer Whit Beckman confirmed the scratch of Simply Joking to Horse Racing Nation on Saturday morning, and trainer Kenny McPeek confirmed his intent to scratch Anonima to HRN on Saturday morning as well. Ballerina d’Oro was declared out earlier in the week by trainer Chad Brown after she spiked a fever during the week, according to a report Wednesday by Marcus Hersh of Daily Racing Form.

Under a new rule, point values for Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby points preps are cut to 75% of the original value if the field scratches to five horses or fewer. It goes down to 50% of the original value if four or fewer entrants see the starter. With the Rachel Alexandra field scratched down from seven to four, horses will only earn half the published points. This turns the Rachel Alexandra from a prep worth 50 points to the winner, which is often enough to earn a horse a spot into the field, to 25. In 2025, horses needed 50 points to get into the Kentucky Oaks.

Good Cheer, the morning-line favorite, is still expected to run. The Brad Cox trainee was undefeated in four starts as a juvenile, including a win in the Golden Rod (G2) to cap off her year. Gowells Delight, Aledean and Bless the Broken complete the likely field.