Finger Lakes: Mom's Law pulls 15-1 surprise in New York Oaks

Mom’s Law, a 15-1 outsider stepping up sharply in class from a nonwinners-of-two allowance, repelled separate bids from two challenges to score a surprise victory in Saturday’s $75,000 New York Oaks for statebred 3-year-old fillies at Finger Lakes.

Ridden by Jeremias Flores, Mom’s Law ($33.80) had won her two previous route tries at Finger Lakes by a combined margin of 17 lengths but had not surpassed a 57 on the Beyer Speed Figure scale in her first four races, including one in which she was eased after falling more than 33 lengths off the pace in a first-level allowance at Belmont Park.

In the Oaks, Mom’s Law and Nikki’s Nut dueled up front through a half-mile in 48.10 seconds, Mom’s Law disposed of Nikki’s Nut down the backstretch, only to face immediate pressure from even-money favorite Mischief Maker, who got to within a half-length at the six-furlong mark of 1:13.81.

In the stretch, Mom’s Law drew clear from Mischief Maker and withstood a late surge from Color Blind to prevail by three-quarters of a length. The winning time for 1 1/16 miles was 1:47.68. Color Blind got second by a neck over Mischief Maker.

A daughter of Andromeda’s Hero owned by My Purple Haze and trainer Michael Lecesse, Mom’s Law has now won 3 of 5 starts.