The BEL Oaks (Grade 1)- $750.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Quarter on the Inner Turf
July 11, 2020

A virtual Tropical Storm moved through the area overnight, and that left the turf course at BEL as soft for the running of this years BEL Oaks. That raised new questions as to who the ones to shine would be on this soaked surface and there were not many in this field who had ever raced on an off track. Liking it the most would be the filly that started from the far outside, Chances Taken, out of Mb Stables. She was one of the horses in the field who actually had run an off track before, though it was just a “good” track at TP, and it was earlier in her career. Today, she would make it work, not scratching because of her post draw or because of the surface, Chances Taken stepped up and earned the second BEL Oaks Trophy for Mb Stables. Jockey M Tunon became a first time winner of the race, which would finish in a time of 2:04.02. Let’s take a look!

(½ Mile- :49.40)- Hollywood Greek would start a lot better then she would ultimately finish for Chili King Stables, jumping out to a quick lead and leading by about two lengths as they moved around the opening turn of the race. It looked like Arindel’s Mrs Nussbaums Credit was a little indecisive about challenging her more aggressively at times, but settles into a stalking position, running to the outside of Beggars Benison, from Team 7 Illusions. Close by to her, was Yuhwa, from Aer Stables to the inside, and Lovin Spoonful, from Nakamura Stables on the outside. After them, we had a bit of a gap to Diablo Diablo’s Pirate Petranella, who was about five lengths back, running in the middle of the field, with Hash Tag Hash, out of Estero Farms, keeping her company on the outside with her stablemate, Forty Chai, being next on the rail. Next up, comes our eventual race winner, Chances Taken, out of Mb Stables. At this time, she has seven and a half lengths to make up and runs with her stablemate, Never Enough. Trailing the field are all three of the Maxmillion Farm entries: Dawninig Ice Age, One Step West, and My Girl Makita.

(3/4 Mile- 1:14.50)- The early pacesetter, Hollywood Greek already begins to look vulnerable even with the field only in the middle of the backstretch. Mrs Nussbaums Credit effortlessly makes the pass for the lead at this point, and holds the advantage as they approach the top of the turn. Yuhwa, Beggars Benison, and Lovin Spoonful, all of whom had been running in stalking positions, each needed to come down a lane to account for the fading already pacesetter. A little further back, Forty Chai and Pirate Petranella ran together about four lengths from the lead, though Hash Tag Hash, who had been running with them, was also beginning to look sluggish. Chances Taken was keeping a good run going, moving into the eighth position while still running five lengths from the lead. She had pulled away from her stablemate, Never Enough. At the back, the runners from Maxmillion Farm were still holding back and waiting for their time to strike.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.7F To Go)- Mrs Nussbaums Credit leads the field into the turn and about midway through it, but at that point she also begins to get a little leg weary. Moving up to capitalize for a little while is Yuhwa, who begins to have a battle with Forty Chai as they get closer to the exit of the turn. However, at this point, in a blink of an eye, Chances Taken was making her move, choosing to do so in the outside line. Once there, she was absolutely explosive, and it was stunning how quickly she took over the lead. By the time they hit the top of the stretch, she was already giving the field the slip, pulling ahead of Yuhwa by a length, and the way growing. Also advancing, but not as assertively, would be My Girl Makita, one of the three from Maxmillion Farm who had been running at the back. She took the similar lane that Chances Taken had used while rounding the turn, but had to make up approximately three lengths on her, and that was looking impossible at this point. Instead, it figured to be a second place effort.

(Finish- 2:04.02)- Once in the stretch, the race was already over, something that you don’t usually see in our game. All that was left for us to do was watch Chances Taken run, and she would do that well, winning by two lengths. What is also rare in our game is to have such a decisive second place finisher after a decisive winner, and that would be the case with My Girl Makita. If it wasn’t for Chances Taken, we would be talking about her excellent come from behind effort and stretch performance, but she would never be able to make up the 2-3 lengths that she had been behind Chances Taken with from the start. Third goes to Forty Chai, who holds on over the late running Dawning Ice Age. Rounding out the order it is Never Enough, Yuhwa, Pirate Petranella, One Step West, Beggars Benison, Mrs Nussbaums Credit, and Lovin Spoonful. Having very ugly finishes would be Hash Tag Hash and Hollywood Greek.

About The Winner- Chances Taken, trained by Mb Stables, and ridden to victory by M Tunon, is a three year old filly by Coin Flip, and is out of Revival. She was bred in Ontario by Night Mare Racing as a third quarter two year old, and acquired by Mb Stables for $40.000 in private sales in August 2019 while she was still unraced. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her third in six starts, and her second stake win, each of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $581.600.

Track: Soft
Time: :49²  1:14²  1:39⁴  2:04

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 14 – 12 Paid 99.50
$1 Trifecta: 14 – 12 – 7 Paid 1,179.80

Scratched: Joan Of Arc, Unmistakable(L)

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES