Trainer Amelia Green is targeting the Kentucky Oaks trail with Two Bits following her victory in the $135,000 Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct. The filly rallied up the rail to win the seven-furlong sprint, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 88. Green also eyes the Sunland Oaks for Ivy Girl after scratching her from the same race.
Two Bits, a bay filly by American Pharoah, demonstrated grit in Friday's Ruthless Stakes, overtaking pacesetter Interstatelovesong in a stretch battle to win in 1:24.11. Trained by Amelia Green for EGL-One Racing and ridden by Jaime Rodriguez, the three-year-old earned 10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks with her prior second-place finish in the Busanda Stakes on January 3.
"When you have a filly that goes up the rail like that and shows a lot of heart and grit, it's always good to see," Green said. She praised Rodriguez for positioning Two Bits on the rail early, noting the track's favorable bias that day. Green highlighted the filly's maturation, including quicker lead changes in recent races and works.
Bred in Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation, Two Bits was purchased for $75,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September yearling sale. Out of the Bernardini mare Spare Change, she traces to Grade 1 winner Finder’s Fee. Green, a 32-year-old former assistant to Todd Pletcher, sees potential for the nine-furlong Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes on April 4, which offers up to 100 Oaks points.
"With her liking this track, it's a big help for us," Green said, adding that Two Bits trains well for two turns despite her one-turn background. The filly exited the race in strong form, jogging well and eager for treats.
Meanwhile, Ivy Girl, another Green trainee for Lucky Hat Racing, was scratched from the Ruthless due to the distance being too short. The Maxfield filly, bought for $100,000 at Keeneland, will target the $250,000 Sunland Oaks on February 15, a two-turn mile offering 20 points. Ivy Girl won her maiden in November at Aqueduct and finished sixth in the Grade 2 Demoiselle in December.
"We opted to scratch and wait for a better spot," Green explained, noting Ivy Girl's consistent works. A half-sister to graded stakes-placed horses, she is out of the Aptitude mare Critikal Reason, related to 2006 Oaks winner Lemons Forever.
Green, who saddled her first starter in December 2024, expressed enthusiasm for the Oaks. "It would be great," she said of reaching the Run for the Lilies with one of her fillies.