Californiagoldrush, Paved among American Oaks contenders

ARCADIA, Calif. – The final Grade 1 race of 2018 will be the first career Grade 1 victory for the winner of the American Oaks, a 1 1/4-mile grass race for 3-year-old fillies next Saturday at Santa Anita.

Thirteen were nominated to the $300,000 race, including the locally based Grade 1-placed Californiagoldrush and Paved. East Coast shippers Colonia and Competitionofideas and the Midwest shipper Princess Warrior also are training locally for the final major race of the year.

Californiagoldrush won three of four for trainer Neil Drysdale, including the Grade 2 Sands Point in her most recent start Sept. 15 at Belmont. She was third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks. Paved finished 12th last out in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf but was second in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive two back against older fillies and mares at the same distance and on the same course as the American Oaks. She is trained by Michael McCarthy.

Princess Warrior upset the Grade 2 Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs last out for trainer Ken McPeek, who won the 2017 American Oaks with Daddys Lil Darling. Colonia won the Grade 3 Valley View at Keeneland last out for trainer Graham Motion; Competitionofideas is an allowance-caliber filly trained by Chad Brown. Kodiak West, a locally based allowance winner last out, also is aiming to the American Oaks.

The card also includes the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf. The $75,000 Eddie Logan Stakes, a one-mile turf race for 2-year-olds on Friday, is expected to be led by Flying Scotsman. Other stakes during opening week at Santa Anita include the $75,000 Blue Norther for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf Sunday and the Grade 3 Joe Hernandez Stakes for turf sprinters on Jan. 1.

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