Happy Coaching Club American Oaks Day! 

It would have been nice to get a rematch between Good Cheer and La Cara in the CCA Oaks after La Cara’s Acorn Stakes triumph. While La Cara is entered today the connections for Good Cheer are aiming for the Alabama Stakes later in the meet. Maybe we’ll get the rematch then. But we do have are three very strong graded stakes led by the CCA Oaks and the Vanderbilt Handicap – both of which are very betable races. 

Trivia question: Which trainer has won the Coaching Club American Oaks the most times? 

Race 10 – The Coaching Club American Oaks – Grade I 

One Mile and One Furlong on the Dirt, For Three Year Old Fillies 

1. Immersive: The 2024 Juvenile Filly Champion and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner ran her first race of the year in the Monomoy Girl at Churchill where she finished second after a stretch duel with Take Charge Milady (85 Beyer).  Good showing off a seven month layoff – although she was 2/5 that day. Needs to move forward – bullet work at Churchill leading into this. Underlay. Show me.
2. Sweet Seraphine: Narrow win in the Wilton Stakes (82 Beyer) as she came from well off the pace to just nail the leader at the wire. She was green in the lane but kicked in for the last sixteenth. Should come from off the pace again. No concern with the extra eighth of a mile. Jose Ortiz picks up the mount from his brother. Gets a piece.
3. Scottish Lassie: Winner of last year’s Frizette was a good third in the Acorn last out (89 Beyer) where set up in a stalking position, loomed boldly for a moment, but was no match for La Cara. Third off the layoff. Maybe a slice.
4. Take Charge Milady: Runner up in the Ashland to La Cara was a no-show in the Kentucky Oaks but came back in the Monomoy Stakes and outdueled Immersive to get the win (85 Beyer).  Should attend the pace. Had excuses in her two poor races this year as she was battling quarter crack issues in both the Honeybee and Kentucky Oaks. Using.
5. Dry Powder: In the Wilton Stakes she pressed a strong pace and got to the lead – only for Sweet Serpentine to drop from the clouds in the last jump (81 Beyer). Has shown improvement in all three career races. Will need a move forward – but in just her fourth career start, that’s certainly a possibility.  Goes two turns for the first time. Underneath in Exotics.  
6. La Cara: Speedster has two Grade I wins this year and last out in the Acorn, Dylan Davis was aggressive from the drop and wired the field (93 Beyer). Two back she faded in the Kentucky Oaks in the last furlong after setting the pace.  Looks like she is a need a lead type – she’ll be sent from the gate to clear the field.  A repeat performance should put her in the winner’s circle – come and catch me. The Pick. 

Picks 6-4-2-1 

Race 11 – The Alfred G. Vanderbilt  Handicap – Grade II 

Six Furlongs on the Dirt For Three Year Olds and Upward 

1. Skelly: Speed of the speed will look to take them all the way. Has run Beyers of 110 and 107 this year but threw in a klunker last time as he ran out of gas after setting wildly fast fractions of 20.93/43.61and finished dead last. Needs to ration his speed better. Look for a rebound today. Needs a decent break to get out in front and she’s had issues with that. The Pick.
2. Full Moon Madness: Expect this one to try and stalk the pace set by Skelly. On his best day he is almost competitive here. But there are faster ones in here. Up against it. Passing.
3. Damon’s Mound: Came off a two year layoff to win the Sunshine Sprint at Gulfstream in January (90 Beyer) and followed that up with a decent third at Delaware Park in the Alapocas Run (94 Beyer). Needs to move forward in the third race of the form cycle. Looking elsewhere.
4. Mullikin: This one is better at seven furlongs rather than today’s six panels – but he can still get the job done. Last out in the True North he pressed the pace and got to the lead but Book’em Danno caught him late (100 Beyer) on a sloppy and sealed track. Pace presser is dangerous here as he should sit off Skelly and look to tip out and pounce. Using.
5. Book’em Dano: High quality sprinter can win at different distances and conditions. He likes to stalk the pace setters and pounce in the lane. He used those tactics last time in the True North and bested Mullikin (102 Beyer) going six and half furlongs. Live runner.
6. Nash: Cross-entered at Ellis Park on Sunday. Has been successfully working through his allowance conditions as a four year old after an eight month layoff following last year’s Woody Stephens. Last out he won a N3X race at Churchill with a monster 108 Beyer on a sloppy sealed track. Moves back to stakes action today. Expect a regression. Passing.
7. Baby Yoda: The enigmatic career of this Bill Mott trainee continues today. Last out he was very good off a long layoff and fired in a high priced Optional Claiming race with a 108 Beyer. We have seen that before and he tends to follow those big efforts with flat performances. But you never know and he likes Saratoga with four wins from eight starts.  Can’t endorse.
8. Nakatomi: Won this race last year with a career best 105 Beyer – but hasn’t quite been the same since although he almost won the Golden Shaheen in Dubai. In the True North last month, he broke poorly and was no factor. He’ll be closing into some speed. Gimmicks.

Picks: 1-4-5-8 

Trivia Answer: Todd Pletcher has won the Coaching Club American Oaks a record eight times.