Appleby hopes Creative Flair is closer in Jockey Club Oaks

ELMONT, N.Y. – Charlie Appleby hopes a different type of trip could lead to a different result for Creative Flair when she starts as first or second choice in Saturday’s $700,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.

Creative Flair, a daughter of Dubawi, finished third, two lengths behind front-running winner Con Lima, in the Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Aug. 8. Creative Flair didn’t get away from the gate too sharply under Mike Smith and was seventh early, not her preferred running style.

“She’s a filly, as a rule, that’s ridden more up on the pace and it was just unfortunate that she lacked a bit of gate speed in that run,” Appleby said. “She did her works at the race’s end, but it was a race that just got away from her.”

Jamie Spencer, in to ride Yibir in the Jockey Club Derby for Appleby, also will ride Creative Flair.

“Hopefully, Jamie can get a nice break and allow her to be in position where she can have a better run at them,” said Appleby, who earlier this year sent out Althiqa to victories in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont and Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.

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Creative Flair, who breaks from the rail, did win a listed stakes at Newbury going 1 1/4 miles in June. The 1 3/8 miles of the Jockey Club Oaks will be the farthest distance Creative Flair has run but is not of concern to Appleby.

“She’s got a pedigree where the trip is going to suit her,” Appleby said. “If anything, it should hopefully bring a little bit more improvement out of her.”

Higher Truth finished 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Creative Flair when running second behind Con Lima in the Saratoga Oaks. Higher Truth was beaten a half-length when third behind Santa Barbara and Con Lima in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational. Santa Barbara came back to win the Beverly D., while Con Lima won the Saratoga Oaks in her next start.

Prior to those two stakes tries, Higher Truth won a pair of 1 1/4-mile races over Belmont’s turf.

Higher Truth did have very good ground-saving trips in both the Belmont and Saratoga Oaks and is likely to get another one breaking from post 2 under Jose Ortiz.

Chad Brown, trainer of Higher Truth, also sends out Shantisara, who is coming off a dominant three-length victory in the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes on Aug. 14 at Arlington Park.

Shantisara took up early in the Pucker Up, raced in between horses down the backside, and then got clear in the stretch. She was doing her best running late and, if the teletimer is to be believed, she ran a final eighth in 11.02 seconds in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Flavien Prat has the call from post 6.

Madone, in from California for trainer Simon Callaghan, is 5 for 6 at a mile and 0 for 2 at 1 1/8 miles. Callaghan is hopeful the filly by Vancouver can stretch out and points to her late run behind a slow pace when running fifth in the Del Mar Oaks as a reason for optimism.

“The track became pretty speed favoring and we got a long way back off slow fractions,” Callaghan said. “She was definitely running on at the end of the last one.”

John Velazquez rides Madone from post 5.

Harajuku, an Irish-bred daughter of Deep Impact, was shipped here by Andre Fabre. Harajuku won a Group 3 stakes at 1 5/16 miles at Saint-Cloud in May. In her most recent start, she finished fourth, beaten just a half-length in the Group 2 Prix de la Nonette on Aug. 21 at Deauville.

Regular rider Stephane Pasquier is in from France for the ride.

Baby Blythe, a seven-length maiden winner at Saratoga going 1 3/16 miles for trainer Shug McGaughey, and Be Up, an allowance winner at Colonial Downs going 1 3/16 miles for Jonathan Thomas, complete the field.