LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- If Take Charge Lady or You didn't win, it had to be Imperial Gesture or Habibti, right? At least that's what the toteboard said before the 128th running of the Kentucky Oaks. But when it seems a horse with a big reputation is destined for victory, beware of the unknown. And beware of the wolf.

	Jockey Chris McCarron celebrates his third Oaks win.

Lobo means wolf in Portuguese, and trainer Paulo Lobo, a 33-year-old Brazilian, had 20-1 shot Farda Amiga ready to run the race of her life in only her second try on the main track. With Broad Brush as her sire and Pleasant Colony as her dam's sire, she had the best distance pedigree in the field, and she ran to her bloodlines in the stretch.

She overtook the front-running favorite, Take Charge Lady, and drew off to a 1 1/4-length win for jockey Chris McCarron in the 3-year-old fillies Derby on a cool Friday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Few in the crowd of 101,923, third-largest in Oaks history, put money on Farda Amiga, who paid $42 to win after running 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:50.41. She had to survive a rather frivolous objection from Victor Espinoza, rider of third-place Habibti, for alleged interference in midstretch, before her Brazilian owners could celebrate. Almost as thrilled were those who included her in Oaks-Derby daily doubles, which could produce major scores even if a longshot doesn't win the Derby. The lowest double, with Saarland, will pay $266.60, and the highest, with It'sallinthechase, is worth $3,534.

"She's a filly who has progressively gotten better," McCarron said. He rode her for the first time in her most recent race, the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Oaks on March 9, in which she ran fourth, beaten only two lengths, behind You and Habibti, despite a troubled trip.

"Believe it or not," McCarron said, "I was very confident heading into this race. I knew she'd appreciate the long stretch here at Churchill. I knew she would just keep coming and she just wore the other filly down."

Habibti was 2 1/2 lengths behind the winner and a half-length ahead of foruth-place You. Imperial Gesture, ridden by Frankie Dettori, was a lifeless eighth for the Godolphin Stable of Dubai.

Farda Amiga settled down on the inside entering the first turn, and with three furlongs to go she sat fifth, about two lengths off Take Charge Lady, who was under pressure from You. Farda Amiga began her winning move by going five-wide leaving the backstretch and took on Take Charge Lady, under Tony D'Amico, and You, with Jerry Bailey, nearing the quarter pole. You quickly packed it in but the 8-5 Take Charge Lady hung on until the sixteenth pole, when Farda Amiga caught her and edged clear in the final 75 yards.

"The main reason we took her to Churchill Downs was because of the long stretch here," Lobo said.

Lobo, who didn't even arrive in the United States until January, 2001, trains 12 horses at his base, Hollywood Park. His father was a leading trainer in Brazil, and Paulo served as his assistant. He learned well, because he couldn't have made his mark in the States any faster or any more spectacularly.

Farda Amiga means "friendly silks" in Portuguese, and the name refers to the group of friends who own her. She earned $348,502 for DeCamargo & Old Friends Winner Silk. Her group of 14 fans, including Lobo and his wife, screamed, "Fly, Farda Amiga, fly!" as she closed relentlessly in the final furlong.

"It's amazing," Lobo said after winning his first Grade I race, which was only his second victory among 16 starters this year. "I think it's one of the toughest Oaks in the last few years."

Then he reflected on the Oaks and on coming to California. "Some people introduced me to some owners," he said. " And so I am here."

His broad smile said it all.