Guarana wins Coaching Club American Oaks to stay perfect

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Guarana went to the lead early in Sunday’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, and by the finish, she may have shot to the head of the 3-year-old filly division, winning the $500,000 race at Saratoga race by a length over Point of Honor.

It was the third win in as many starts for Guarana and her second Grade 1 victory in seven weeks. On June 8, she took the Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park by six lengths over Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress. That came seven weeks after she won a maiden race by 14 3/4 lengths at Keeneland.

“Her debut race at Keeneland really confirmed what we thought about her, and then from there, it’s just gone beyond our expectations,” winning trainer Chad Brown said. “To take down two Grade 1s this early in her career, no one can really predict that.”

It’s also hard to predict what a lightly raced horse might do when hit with a left-handed whip for the first time. Guarana veered out several paths above the sixteenth pole when Jose Ortiz smacked her left-handed. Fortunately, Guarana was well clear of Point of Honor and didn’t interfere with that rival, though an objection was lodged by Aron Wellman, the head of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, which owns Point of Honor. The stewards dismissed the claim.

“I just got lucky that I was clear because if I wasn’t as clear, I would have come down because she did overreact pretty good,” Ortiz said.

Other than that, the race went as planned, according to Ortiz. Breaking sharply from the rail, Guarana outfooted Champagne Anyone to the early lead and maintained a half-length advantage over the Gulfstream Park Oaks winner through a quarter in 24.27 seconds, a half-mile in 49.49, and six furlongs in 1:13.58.

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Around the turn, Champagne Anyone tried to get on even terms with Guarana while Off Topic was making a menacing three-wide move into contention. Ortiz shook up Guarana, and she opened up a two-length advantage in midstretch before drifting out late while Point of Honor closed from last.

“We expected her on the lead,” Brown said. “I thought Jose rode a really terrific race, carved out real sensible fractions, and she had enough to get the mile and an eighth.”

Guarana, a daughter of Ghostzapper owned by Goncalo Torrealba’s Three Chimneys Farm, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.65 and returned $2.50 to win.

Point of Honor finished 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Off Topic. Champagne Anyone and Boxwood completed the order of finish.

The Coaching Club is traditionally the steppingstone to the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama, run at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 17. Brown said he would speak with Torrealba before deciding whether to try that race or perhaps wait for the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion at Parx on Sept. 21.

“The way we manage the horses, they’ll tell us; we’ll see how she comes out of the race, have a discussion about it, and try to make the right decision for her,” said Brown, who is already pointing Dunbar Road to the Alabama.