Meadowlands: Nezuko Kamado S named early Hambletonian Oaks favorite

Despite being defeated by Busy Miss Lissy S in her elimination last Saturday (Aug. 1), 10-time winner Nezuko Kamado S has been installed the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the 56th edition of the $500,000 Grade 1 Winning Key Farm Hambletonian Oaks, which goes to post this coming Saturday (Aug. 8) at the Meadowlands.

The Courant Inc. homebred leads a trio of 3-year-old trotting fillies trained by Marcus Melander to compete in the Oaks, and she looks to return to winning form after falling a neck short of Busy Miss Lissy S' 1:51 4/5 mile as the 3-10 favorite in the second of three Oaks eliminations. Despite coming up just short, Nezuko Kamado S earned ample praise from trainer Marcus Melander for her performance.

"She raced very good; she came home in 26," said Melander. "I was very happy with her and how she raced. It was slow fractions, and she couldn't go faster than she did [to finish]. I couldn't be happier with her. She's got a good attitude and gait, and she wants to chase horses down. Even if she's been winning her last couple starts on the lead, she's better from off the pace when she can chase other horses."

Nezuko Kamado S, who is the season's fastest 3-year-old trotting filly to date by way of her 1:50 1/5 win in a division of the Grade 2 Del Miller Memorial on July 11 at the Meadowlands, drew post 2. Scott Zeron will again drive the daughter of Chapter Seven-Zefira Kronos IT.

Her stablemate Setyoursightshigh, who dug deep to fend off ferocious sub-26 charges from Leading Lady and Custom for a 1:53 1/5 win in the third elimination, is the 6-1 fourth choice and will start from post 4 with Dexter Dunn nominated to drive.

"She's in good form," said Melander of the In Range-Special Interest filly, whom he plans to race barefoot in the final. "Her year has been a little mixed, but lately it's going in the right direction."

Also a 10-time winner thus far, Setyoursightshigh took her mark of 1:51 4/5 in the Grade 2 Zweig Memorial filly division on July 19 at Vernon Downs.

Carve, who was the fastest elimination winner with a 1:51 1/5 win in the first split, is the 7-2 second choice, and will start from post 6 with Andy McCarthy aboard for trainer Noel Daley.

"She's good enough to win [the Hambletonian Oaks] because she's quick; she's always going to put herself in the race," said Daley of the Captain Corey-Alpine filly, who rallied up the pegs with a 26 1/5 closing quarter to post her fifth career victory. "She can win it; it just depends on the trip. She's not a superstar, but she is very handy."

The aforementioned Busy Miss Lissy S, whom trainer Åke Svanstedt drove to a 1:51 4/5 score in the second elimination, drew the pole and has been made the 4-1 third choice for the final.

"I've said all along that I'm so impressed with her every time she hits the track because she is very small, but she has the biggest heart that I have seen," said assistant trainer Sarah Svanstedt of the Calgary Games-Hill's Angel S filly, who races as a homebred for Panamera Racing, of Denmark. "Her instinct to know where the wire is and want to win has come a very long way."

Busy Miss Lissy S' other win this season came in a division of the Grade 3 New York New York Mile, at MGM Yonkers Raceway, which she won by 7-3/4 lengths in 1:54 1/5.

The Hambletonian Oaks is carded as the ninth of 16 races on a stakes-filled Saturday at the Big M. The complete field, with nominated drivers, trainers, and morning-line odds, is as follows:

$500,000 Grade 1 Hambletonian Oaks (Race 9)

PP – Horse – Driver – Trainer – Odds

1 – Busy Miss Lissy S – Åke Svanstedt – Åke Svanstedt – 4-1

2 – Nezuko Kamado S – Scott Zeron – Marcus Melander – 2-1

3 – Custom – Jason Bartlett – Per Engblom – 8-1

4 – Setyoursightshigh – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander – 6-1

5 – Lainey W – Dexter Dunn – Marcus Melander – 12-1

6 – Carve – Andy McCarthy – Noel Daley – 7-2

7 – Leading Lady – Matt Kakaley – Nancy Takter – 10-1

8 – Storybook Love – Todd Ratchford – Matthew Bax – 25-1

9 – Frattina Diablo S – Tim Tetrick – Tony Alagna – 25-1

10 – Madam Cheval – Tim Tetrick – Nancy Takter – 25-1

Notes: Elimination winners Busy Miss Lissy S, Carve and Setyoursightshigh drew for posts 1-6. Final driver changes are due by Wednesday (Aug. 5) at 11 a.m. (EDT) and will be announced shortly thereafter. Morning line odds by John Rallis.

The anticipated post time for the Hambletonian Oaks, which will be broadcast live as part of Fox Sports 2's (FS2) coverage of Saturday's stakes action at the Meadowlands, is 3:26 p.m. (EDT).