Del Mar Oaks distance might be a stretch for Laura's Light
Since late December, Laura’s Light is unbeaten in four stakes on turf in Southern California, winning a sprint, two races at a mile, and once at 1 1/8 miles.
Perhaps her weakest race in that streak came in the Grade 3 Honeymoon at Santa Anita in her only start at 1 1/8 miles. She was fully extended to win that May 30 race. On Saturday, Laura’s Light runs 1 1/8 miles on turf again in the Grade 1, $250,000 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies.
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Even trainer Peter Miller thinks the distance of the Del Mar Oaks is at the limit of Laura’s Light’s capabilities.
“The mile might be her preferred distance,” Miller said.
To win, Laura’s Light must beat two fillies who ran well behind her in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at a mile on turf on July 25 at Del Mar – Guitty and Warren’s Showtime – and the recent French imports Miss Extra and Neige Blanche.
Abel Cedillo was aboard for the Honeymoon and Laura’s Light’s other stakes wins and has the mount Saturday. Miller said Laura’s Light is ready for the richest race of her career and first Grade 1 in the Del Mar Oaks.
“I’ve got a lot of faith in her and Abel,” Miller said.
Owned by Gary Barber, Laura’s Light has one loss this year – a fourth in the Bourbonette Oaks on the synthetic track at Turfway Park in March. That was preceded by a win in the Grade 3 Sweet Life Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf on Feb. 16 at Santa Anita and followed by the win in the Honeymoon.
The winning streak began with a win in the Blue Norther Stakes at a mile on turf for 2-year-old fillies at Santa Anita last December.
While the distance of the Del Mar Oaks may be an issue, Laura’s Light is likely to be well placed behind expected pacesetters Aqua Seaform Shame and Parkour, who will be longshots.
“She’s won on the lead and she’s won from off the pace,” Miller said. “There’s plenty of speed. She can do it either way.”
Since the San Clemente, Laura’s Light has had two workouts, including six furlongs in 1:13.20 on dirt last Saturday.
“She worked a good, strong three-quarters with a strong gallop-out a week ago,” Miller said. “She’s holding her weight well.”
It is easy to envision Laura’s Light racing within a length or two of the lead on the turn. It is easy to envision her being challenged through the stretch. She held off a late threat in the Honeymoon to win by a neck.
Miss Extra, now trained by Richard Mandella, was ninth in the Group 1 French Oaks at 1 5/16 miles on July 5 at Chantilly, a loss that ended a three-race winning streak. Miss Extra won an important prep for the French Oaks, the Group 2 Prix de Sandringham at a mile on July 19 at Chantilly.
“If they get a mile there, they usually get a mile and an eighth here,” Mandella said. “She’s a smaller filly. She looks good and traveled good.”
Neige Blanche won the Group 3 Prix Cleopatre at about 1 3/8 miles on turf at Lyon, France, on June 6, and was held out of the French Oaks to be prepared for her California debut, trainer Leonard Powell said earlier this week.
Neige Blanche has won 3 of 6 starts. The Prix Cleopatre was her group stakes debut and first win on turf. She won two races on synthetic surfaces in late 2019 and tends to run from off the pace.
“I think she will be in the second half of the pack and she’ll have a good turn of foot,” Powell said. “Once she settles, there won’t be an issue about a mile and an eighth.”
Guitty was beaten three-quarters of a length by Laura’s Light in the San Clemente and was a troubled fifth in the Honeymoon Stakes. Guitty also is expected to come from off the pace.
Warren’s Showtime is more likely to race from a position in the middle of the field. A four-time stakes winner, Warren’s Showtime had her graded stakes debut in the San Clemente, closing from last of 10 to finish 1 1/4 lengths behind Laura’s Light.
Jose Velez rode Warren’s Showtime in her first 11 starts, including the San Clemente, but has been replaced by Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith for the Del Mar Oaks. Trainer Craig Lewis said Thursday that he wants Smith to keep Warren’s Showtime closer to the pace than Velez did in the San Clemente.
“I think she ran well,” Lewis said. “She had too much to do. She’ll be closer.
“The reality is she’s very handy. We can put her where we want to put her.”