CT Oaks (Grade 2)- $750.000 Purse
CT- For Fillies Three Years Old
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
August 22, 2025

Some of the top three old fillies have made their way to CT for the fourteenth running of the CT Oaks, a seven-furlong race that offers a generous $750.000 purse. This is the second year that the race has been classified as a Grade 2, and it is the third year that it has run for that high of an amount. In the early days of the race, it was dominated by Mb Stables, something that is said about many races, but getting the grand prize last year was Night Mare Racing as Lady Lara won by a length. At the time, it was her third consecutive win, and she would go on to run third in the BC F & M Sprint. She’s still active and running in graded races today. A field of nine would love to follow in her footsteps, let’s take a look at those taking part:

1- Atomic Fury (Xcel Racing, ridden by A R Rodriguez)- Since the trainer added her to their stable in March, Atomic Fury has been kept around the seven-furlong distance in all four of her starts. All but one of those starts have been against NY-Breds, and she has managed two wins in $200.000 stakes, including the Bouwerie at the Spa in early June. Nothing was wrong her last effort, either, when she placed third in the Johnstone (not a full) Mile. Did run fourth in the Eight Belles at CD, so has shown she can handle graded competition.

2- Eilonwy (Keikowin Racing, ridden by Ar Bocachica)- Only recently has Eilonwy been running at the stake level, and the CT Oaks will be her first graded race. She was a competitive, though not dominant filly in overnights, before a win in a PRX allowance led her to entered in a pair of CA-bred races. Last time out, she would get the win in the $125.000 Fleet Treat Stakes and will now see if she can take another step forward. Thus far, she’s done well when the trainer has asked her for more.

3- Gigafemme (Big Guns Stables, ridden by M E Smith)- She has made her living in NY-bred races, and picked up a massive win in December in the $500.000 Fifth Avenue. More recently, when her paths crossed with Atomic Fury in the Park Avenue at AQU, she did run second but was beaten by two lengths by that rival. Her two starts since that April race have been good showing in overnights, and now she will jump back into the graded races. An earlier try was not pretty, but things can change.

4- Shes A Looker (Nakamura Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- Started her three-year-old season hot, and would win the $300.000 Bourbonette Oaks at TP, going a long way to punch her ticket to the KYO itself. She was sluggish in the mud that day, starting at the back and passing no one all race long. Any thought of disregarding that because of the off track when she was equally has poor in the Summertime Oaks at SA, but just when things were looking bleak, she went wire to wire to win the IND Oaks. That represented a major tactical change for her that day, and I anticipate seeing that approach here again on the bullring.

5- Thousand Hours (Mb Stables, ridden by M Franco)- Mb Stables has won the CT Oaks five times, including in 2023 with Points Of Grace. Thousand Hours is his only entry in the race this time around, and like Shes A Looker, she took part in the KYO in May. She, too, had a great spring, but just could not get it done at CD. However, this filly then recovered nicely to run third in the Acorn, and fourth in the CCA Oaks, each at SAR. For now, the trainer wants to have a look at her at this shorter distance, her first time under a mile since January.

6- Dupixent (Night Rider Stables, ridden by L Saez)- Three weeks ago, Dupixent went wire to wire to win the Grade 1 Test up at SAR for her second win of the year. Prior to that, she was a competitive third at the IND Oaks when going a little over a mile. While she has certainly proven that she likes going long, as evidenced by her three wins in those distances, perhaps a little more quietly, she has never failed to hit the board in any of her sprints, and that does include the Test. Last year’s winner of the CT Oaks, Lady Lara, won the Test before coming here, and I think Dupixent could duplicate that.

7- Shericka (Winning Link Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- When Dupixent won the Test earlier this month, she had company at the wire. Shericka was right there with her, but had to settle for second in a photo, and there is no reason that she can’t flip the script on her here. With one exception, it’s been a great three-year-old campaign for her, as she also won the DEL Oaks two back, and the SUN Oaks earlier in the year. Always seems to be in the mix, and I expect that to happen here as well. She’s my pick to win.

8- Valkyria (Alydar Stables, ridden by F Geroux)- Geroux’s been the jockey that you want in this race recently, as he has won the last two. Valkyria also had a chance to run in the KYO, and while she was beaten by four lengths, she had the best run out of those that are in this field. I’d like to see her win a little more, but she has been a solid third in her last two races, including the MTH Oaks last month. It’s been almost a year to the day when we she last ran under a mile but perhaps that will be what is needed to get her that third career win.

9- Unique Beauty (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by R M Hernandez)- Comes here off of a win in her last race. However, that was not the Test, or the IND Oaks, or even the Fleet Treat Stakes. Instead, that was her maiden win, which was a strong outing at WO in late May. It was her fifth career start, and she not has not raced since. She’ll need to show improvement off that, but she’s not here if the trainer didn’t think she could. I’ll have to see it first.

Prediction: 7-6-1-5

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES