Curalina wins Coaching Club American Oaks by DQ

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – For the second consecutive day, the result of a graded stakes at Saratoga was decided in the stewards’ stand. For the second consecutive day, trainer Todd Pletcher was the beneficiary of that decision.

Curlina, the 4-5 favorite in Sunday’s Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks, was elevated to first by the stewards, who determined that a bump by the pacesetting I’m a Chatterbox on Curlina in deep stretch impacted the order of finish. So, though I’m a Chatterbox finished a nose in front of Curalina, the stewards reversed the order of finish.

On Saturday, in the Grade 3, $150,000 Sanford Stakes, the Pletcher-trained Uncle Vinny was elevated from second to first after the first-place finisher, Magna Light, was ruled to have interfered with third-place finisher Percolator.

Despite some boos from those who remained from the announced crowd of 29,947 at Saratoga, Sunday’s call was less controversial than the one made Saturday.

“I feel a little less apologetic about this one,” said Pletcher, who captured his seventh CCA Oaks trophy. “Yesterday, we weren’t bothered, we were the beneficiary of someone else being bothered. In this particular case, our filly was knocked off stride at a critical point of the race and got beat a couple of inches. So, in my eyes, it probably made the difference. I’m sure there are other people that feel differently.”

Larry Jones, the trainer of I’m a Chatterbox, is one of those people.

“I figure I’m in Pletcherville, what are you talking about?” Jones said with a laugh. “He got put up yesterday. If you don’t win ‘em, move him up. No, that’s bitterness. I don’t know, that’s their [the stewards’] job. My job is to try and get them there first.”

Jones didn’t feel there was sufficient cause for a disqualification because, in his opinion, jockey Florent Geroux did everything he could to keep I’m a Chatterbox from interfering with Curalina. However, despite Geroux’s best right-handed efforts, I’m a Chatterbox did come out on Curalina and bump her. John Velazquez, the rider of Curalina, said it definitely cost his filly the race.

“I was going to get her, no doubt. Twenty yards before the wire, I was going to get her,” said Velazquez, who also was on Uncle Vinny in Saturday’s Sanford. “And when she got bumped like that and went to her left lead, she lost her balance, I lost my balance, and now I had to get back on her, and I just missed.”

Curalina overcame some bumping at the start and again in the first turn and obtained good position down the backside. She was second entering the far turn and set sail after I’m a Chatterbox, who was carving out solid fractions on the front and still held on to finish first before the disqualification.

Include Betty, the Grade 1 Mother Goose winner, finished third, a head in front of Danette. Chide, Keen Pauline, and Conquest Eclipse completed the order of finish.

The final time of the CCA Oaks was 1:49.74 over a fast main track. Curalina returned $3.90.

Curalina, a daughter of Curlin owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, is now 4 for 4 this year and added the CCA Oaks to her Grade 1 victory in the Acorn at Belmont Park.

Curalina, I’m a Chatterbox, and Kentucky Oaks winner Lovely Maria are among those expected to run in the Grade 1 Alabama on Aug. 22.