GP Oaks (KYO) (Grade 2)- $250.000 Purse
GP- For Fillies Three Years Old
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Dirt
April 2, 2022

State Star was making her graded debut in the GP Oaks, and it was also the first time that she was running more than seven furlongs in her career. Recent works suggested she’d be fine with the distance and could handle this crowd. One thing that was not a first for her was running on a sloppy track. Back in October, she did the same at KEE, and up until now that was the only other race that she had won. She’s always been consistent, hitting the board in all of her prior seven races. Therefore, her trainer, Our Athletes, will not necessarily have to hope for rain in the KYO, but let’s just say that he won’t be cursing the weather gods if it ends up that way. Congratulations to him as he gets a runner into that field! It’s the first that he has won the GP Oaks, and the third time for jockey J R Velazquez. The time of the race was 1:47.89. Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :23.83)- Breaking well out of the gate are Arindel’s Lailoni and Sccj Stables’ Perfect Class, and the two of them run side by side around the opening turn. Give a slight edge to Lailoni there as they enter the backstretch. Running three wide, but a length behind these two would be Paris Pinnacle Party, for Mb Stables. Our eventual winner, State Star, runs next for Our Athletes, and she is about two lengths from the lead while running near the rail. League of Legends (Smokey Stover) is within a length to her outside. Behind them by a length are the two trailers, Grande Sunset (Mb Stables) and Clumsy Jean (Night Rider Stables).

(½ Mile- :48.41)- There is not much activity as we go down the backstretch. Lailoni is the leader, and she now leads Perfect Class by half a length, and that one holds the same advantage over third place Paris Pinnacle Party. State Star is still in fourth, and has not yet made a push forward but is doing well to keep the frontrunners right where she wants them. League Of Legends is to her outside, still, with neither Grande Sunset nor Clumsy Jean making a move yet.

(Top of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Early in the final turn, there would be a little bit of room opening up between Lailoni and Perfect Class, and with that presenting itself, J R Velazquez decided it was time to move State Star forward, and his filly responded with a strong push. She’s quickly become level with those two, and was running so well that by the time they were in the top of the stretch, she had a half length lead! That was bad news for anyone behind her that was also waiting to make their own move.

(Finish- 1:47.89)- It’s all State Star in the stretch! This filly won the race in the turn with her strong move, and carried all that momentum into the stretch, giving no one else a chance to get near her. Not too shabby for a horse that had never run more than seven furlongs before. Placing second would be Grande Sunset, who used the same lane that State Star had taken advantage of, but was never a threat for the top spot. Her stablemate, Paris Pinnacle Party gets third, with the final points going to League Of Legends. The pacesetters, Lailoni and Perfect Class go fifth and sixth, while Clumsy Jean was never a factor.

About The Winner- State Star, trained by Our Athletes and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a three year old filly by State Police, and is out of Track Star. She was bred in Kentucky as a second quarter two year old by Our Athletes, the only trainer for which she has ever known! Congratulations to the connections! The win is her second in eight starts, and her first stake win. Her career earnings are now $284.960.

Track: Sloppy
Time: :23⁴  :48²  1:13⁴  1:47⁴

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 4 – 3 Paid 109.00
$1 Trifecta: 4 – 3 – 8 Paid 496.40

Scratched: Viable Tactics(L)

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES