Despite post 13, Oakhurst could have easier time in Virginia Oaks

Oakhurst will have to work a little harder from post 13, but the filly still rates a strong chance in the $200,000 Virginia Oaks on Tuesday at Colonial Downs.

Oakhurst cuts back to 1 1/8 miles after finishing last in the 1 3/16-mile Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Aug. 13. But not all last-place finishes are created equal: There were only four other fillies in the race and the top three home – With The Moonlight, McKulick, and New Year’s Eve – all would be favored in the Virginia Oaks. Oakhurst was beaten less than four lengths after racing under a tight hold and failing to produce the needed acceleration.

The filly, trained by Chad Brown for Little Red Feather Racing, can become the 15th horse trained by Brown to win a turf-route stakes during 2022. And despite the presence of 13 rivals and the wide draw, she’ll likely be heavily favored to do so under Manny Franco.

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Oakhurst started her campaign with an eye-catching first-level turf allowance win at Keeneland in April, and in the one-mile Wild Applause she was nipped by another Brown filly, Eminent Victor, going a one-turn mile at Belmont Park. Two turns and nine furlongs – and a step down in competition – could hit a sweet spot for Oakhurst, a daughter of Mr Speaker.

Catiche is an appealing alternative at a better price, however. The filly is cross-entered in the Dueling Grounds Oaks on Sunday at Kentucky Downs but was to be scratched in favor of the Virginia Oaks, trainer Jonathan Thomas said Saturday.

That mitigates one concern regarding her form, since Lasix isn’t permitted in the Dueling Grounds Oaks, but Catiche can run on the anti-bleeder medication Tuesday. Lasix might or might not matter for the filly, but Catiche should enjoy her first trip over a grass course. Far better on synthetic tracks than dirt, she has worked three times recently over the Saratoga grass, and video of her Aug. 19 in-company drill was very encouraging. In her last start, a close second-place finish in the Grade 3 Selene at Woodbine, Catiche was caught a ridiculous seven paths wide on the first turn and was four wide the second turn, continuing on gamely.

Surprisingly, in from Kentucky for Shug McGaughey, already has found a home on turf, winning back-to-back grass races at Horseshoe Indianapolis and Ellis Park. She’s shown a good turn of foot and might not be overmatched in the Virginia Oaks.

Trainer Graham Motion entered three horses – Sparkle Blue, Pharoah’s Song, and Candy Light. Candy Light had a terrible trip finishing seventh July 14 when trying her first turf route in a first-level Saratoga allowance and could sneak into the trifecta at a price.

Rosie’s Stakes / Kitten’s Joy

Graham Motion is pulling a Wesley Ward.

Ward is wont to run 2-year-old fillies against males – and does so regularly with success – and the Motion-trained favorite facing six male rivals and one other filly in the $125,000 Rosie’s Stakes is the fast filly Grand Oak.

Grand Oak debuted in an April dirt sprint at Keeneland, finishing second, and won a turf sprint second time out at Churchill Downs so impressively that connections sent her to Royal Ascot for the Queen Mary Stakes. That did not go well, Grand Oak finishing 18th of 21. Back in North America, Grand Oak again left the U.S. to race, going to Woodbine for the Catch a Glimpse on Aug. 20. There, she contested a strong pace and faded to fourth going 6 1/2 furlongs. Given her maiden win came over five furlongs and the Rosie’s is contested at 5 1/2 furlongs, the shorter trip figures to benefit the filly.

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“That’s what everyone keeps telling me,” said Motion, who wondered if racing for the first time in two months didn’t have as much to do with Grand Oak’s last-start performance as distance limits. “She is running back on short rest.”

Motion also entered Grand Oak in a Thursday allowance race at Kentucky Downs but said she’s likely to start Tuesday.

Plenty of speed is entered in the Rosie’s, with the other filly, Determined Jester, among the pace players. Don’t count out Call Me Ice Man, who stalked, pounced, and nicely won his career debut, an Aug. 8 turf sprint at Colonial.

Rarified Flair looms a short-priced favorite in the 2-year-old turf-route stakes, the $125,000 Kitten’s Joy.

Trained by Ken McPeek, Rarified Flair wasn’t the most impressive 2-year-old turf-route maiden winner of the Saratoga meet, but he won well enough Aug. 20, earning a 70 Beyer Speed Figure, that bettors figure to flock to him in the 1 1/16-mile Kitten’s Joy. The 70 Beyer and the 61 Rarifield Flair got in a third-place Saratoga maiden showing both are higher figures than any of his seven opponents have reached on turf.

The only alternative with any real appeal is Gigante, who didn’t show much debuting in a turf sprint at Colonial but improved markedly in a one-turn dirt mile to clear the maiden ranks Aug. 10 for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Da Hoss

Trainer David Donk on Friday at Saratoga won the Lucky Coin Stakes, a Saratoga turf sprint, with the sharp Thin White Duke. On Tuesday at Colonial, Donk could take down another turf sprint, the $150,000 Da Hoss, with Yes and Yes.

Yes and Yes is one of a dozen entered in the 5 1/2-furlong Da Hoss, which, on paper, appears to be crazily competitive.

Yes and Yes fits as well as anyone. He exits a mildly troubled fifth-place finish in the Aug. 5 Troy Stakes, won by North America’s top turf sprinter, Golden Pal, with Thin White Duke third. Yes and Yes failed to stay a two-turn mile July 16 in the Forbidden Apple, and prior to that start had reeled off three straight turf sprint wins at Belmont. Those victories came at six and seven furlongs and it’s an open question whether Yes and Yes can race as effectively going 5 1/2 furlongs in the Da Hoss.

Matta was third earlier in the Colonial meet in the Van Clief Stakes, another 5 1/2-furlong grass dash, but that was only his second start of 2022, and based on his 2021 form the gelding has another level to find.

◗ The stakes action starts on dirt in race 4 with the $100,000 Hidden Figures overnight handicap for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Semble Juste looks well spotted.