SA Oaks – Grade II [KYO]
1 1/16 Miles Dirt Graded Stake Purse $200.000 Fillies Three-Year-Olds. At SA
SA Oaks… one of the earliest major stakes of HRP and a significant lead-up to the KYO having started in 2005. However, as a predictor of the winner of the KYO, this is not the race. No winner of the SA Oaks has ever gone on to win the KYO… not a one. However, a startling number went on to finish second. It could be argued that legendary Mrs Bombastic might have done the job had she not gone on the win the Grade I AR Derby and the Prk against the lads for Blushing Meadows. This year’s edition looks like almost a walkover for Mo Mentum Farm’s undefeated Monarchy which has already been invited to the KYO twice on her charge for the big show. I’m betting this will be her third ticket. Here’s the field:
Horse Owner Odds SRF
Monarchy Mo Mentum Farm *4-5 97
Breathtaking Big Guns Stables 3-1 94
Facts Of Love Team 7 Illusions 4-1 94
Hot Story The Sidley Stud 9-2 90
Follow The Queen La Canada Racehorses 5-1 91
Boardwalk Princess C And C Racing 8-1 87
Rayne Beau Waldo 10-1 89
Dismantle Mb Stables 15-1 89
Categorically Lucky Asgar 20-1 88
Westward Shift Mb Stables 20-1 90
Stagger Home Mb Stables 30-1 90
1 Facts Of Love Alydar Stables 94
After breaking her maiden, Facts Of Love ran a couple of promising seconds which got her a berth in the Grade III Santa Ysabel Stakes. As a deep closer, she started her run too late and finished sixth after making up a lot of ground in the stretch and earned a 94 SRF in defeat. With that in mind, his trainer returns with the hope of getting that close started sooner here.
2 Westward Shift Mb Stables 90
On his third race, Westward Shift led the field into the stretch of a 1 1/16 mile maiden race at CT and held on to second. But then, she was placed in a four-and-a-half-furlong maiden at CT and managed a dead heat to become a winner finally.
3 Breathtaking Big Guns Stables 94
Breathtaking won three of her first five, including the $100.000 Las Virgenes Stakes which got her her ticket into the KYO. In spite of being an KY Oaks elite, her odds actual went up when she entered the Grade III Santa Ysabel Stakes in which she faded back to fifth in the stretch. She comes here still looking to increase her credentials.
4 Boardwalk Princess C And C Racing 87
Boardwalk Princess won three of her first four, including the $100.000 Arnaz Stakes. She stepped up to the ‘win and you’re in’ $100.000 Santa Ynez Stakes where she showed promise as a closer finishing sixth beaten only a length. Unfortunately, when moved up to the Grade II Davona Dale Stakes, she was outrun.
5 Hot Story The Sidley Stud 90
After winning the $125.000 Glorious Song Stakes, Hot Story bombed in the Grade III Mazarine BC Stakes, but her connections decided to take a shot at the brass ring and entered her in the Grade II Davona Dale Stakes where she only passed a few horses but made up a spectacular eleven lengths fishing seventh but beaten only one length. So, back here today to see if she can work out that close to start a little sooner or not get so far back.
6 Rayne Beau Waldo 89
Rayne Beau broke her maiden at a mile 70 at TAM, came back and won at six furlongs at SUN. She has worked a mile I 1:37 3/5H.
Undefeated Monarchy has already won the $250.000 SUN Oaks and the Grade III Santa Ysabel Stakes, both ‘win and you’re in’ races and looks the overwhelming favourite for this race. She’s a Bonafide monster which has shown the ability to come from off the pace to win large and waltz wire-to-wire at even longer. She is certainly one of the favourites for the KYO.
8 Stagger Home Mb Stables 90
Stagger Home is a maiden which finished a close third in her only start, a five-furlong turf race at TUP.
It’s kind of amazing to go this far down in the handicap before finding a Mb Stables horse, but here we are: It took Dismantle four races to get a win, and she had to go back to six furlongs to manage it. She looked good going 1 1/16 miles in a SA maiden where she lost a three-length lead coming into the stretch to finish third beaten a length.
10 Categorically Lucky Asgar 88
Categorically Lucky won at first asking in a two-furlong maiden race at TAM. Since then, she has yet to place in a stakes race in her following four races.
11 Follow The Queen La Canada Racehorses 91
Follow The Queen won two of her first three on turf, including the Grade III Durante Stakes, then just to prove her versatility, won an overnighter at SA on dirt. Inspired, her trainer sent her to the $250.000 SUN Oaks where she led half the race before fading back to sixth. After that she went back to turf in the Grade III FL Oaks where she again tired out. So, now back to dirt to make a serious run at the KYO.
Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES
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