Blinkers the X factor for Tonalist's Shape in CCA Oaks

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. made himself a promise when he first came to the United States that he would never go to Saratoga unless he had a horse that took him there. And now he does.

Joseph’s reason to finally visit Saratoga this week is a 3-year-old filly named Tonalist’s Shape, who figures to go postward the favorite against just five rivals in Saturday’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. The Coaching Club American Oaks, whose purse was cut from $500,000 to $350,000 this summer, highlights an 11-race program that also includes the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for 3-year-olds on the turf.

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Tonalist’s Shape enters the 1 1/8-mile Coaching Club having won six of her seven starts, including the Grade 2 Davona Dale and Grade 3 Forward Gal this past winter at Gulfstream Park. She bounced back from her only setback, a dull performance in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, with an easy 3 3/4-length victory in the Hollywood Wildcat on May 15 at Gulfstream.

Despite her stellar record, Joseph will make an equipment change, putting blinkers on Tonalist’s Shape for the first time in the Oaks. In her first work in blinkers, Tonalist’s Shape went five furlongs in 45.20 seconds on June 28 at Gulfstream Park.

“Her first work in blinkers was phenomenal,” said Joseph, a native of Barbados. “They actually seemed to move her forward, and she’s going to have to move forward to compete at this level. It actually puts me in a weird position making a change, considering her record, but she just worked too good not to try the blinkers, although you never actually know how things like this will turn out until you do it.”

Another question facing Tonalist’s Shape is the distance of the Oaks, as she’s yet to try nine furlongs. She did win around two turns going 1 1/16 miles in her last start.

“Again, the distance is a change for her, so you never know, although she’s bred to run all day on the sire’s side, and her granddam says distance, too,” Joseph said. “Last time, going two turns, another horse came to her on the final turn and she was able to run away again, which I took as a good sign.”

Tonalist’s Shape will break from the rail under Irad Ortiz Jr., although the post is also of little concern to her trainer.

“It’s a small field, and she’s had no problem running on the rail if she has to stay down there,” Joseph said. “She was on the lead in the Davona Dale, which I never expected, and if she’s in front here and does it easily, that would be fine, too. I believe in never taking anything away from a horse if it comes easy enough. That’s all up to Irad.”

Trainer Bill Mott will counter Tonalist’s Shape with the multiple graded stakes-placed Antoinette and the lightly raced but up-and-coming Paris Lights.

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Antoinette has finished third in her last three starts, all stakes, including the Grade 3 Wonder Again on the turf at Belmont Park four weeks earlier. Antoinette finished two lengths in back of the winner, Sweet Melania.

“We thought she might be better on the turf,” Mott said. “Joe Bravo got off her and said he liked her better on the dirt, so we ran her on dirt and she placed a few times. We ran her back on the grass last time, and she was third to a nice filly.”

Paris Lights has won her last two starts, a maiden race at Churchill and allowance race there, by a combined margin of 10 lengths. Both were at 1 1/16 miles, and she posted matching 85 Beyer Speed Figures.

“She got a little more experience getting the allowance race under her belt, now we’ll see if she belongs in stakes company,” Mott said. “We feel quite confident with her pedigree and running style she’ll get the added distance.”

Velvet Crush, an allowance winner in her two-turn debut last month at Churchill Downs, and recent maiden winners Altaf and Crystal Ball complete the lineup for the Oaks.

– additional reporting by David Grening