Onus continues local dominance in Commonwealth Oaks
Laurel Park maidens had no chance against Onus in July, first-level allowance foes there were overwhelmed by her in August, and on Saturday at Laurel, Onus did the same thing to graded stakes foes, dismissing them with disdain in the Grade 3, $150,000 Commonwealth Oaks.
Tracking a moderate pace while outside and in the clear under Forest Boyce, Onus cruised to the front while never being asked at the top of the homestretch and burst away from her rivals, displaying the same impressive turn of foot she’d shown in her two previous races this summer at Laurel.
She ran her final furlong in a sharp 11.13 seconds and won by 4 1/2 lengths as Lola Beaux nipped Stormy Regatta for second, with Rainha da Bateria close behind in fourth.Favored Zvarkhova broke a step slow from post 11, raced three wide, and never picked up, finishing eighth.
Onus, a Stuart Janney III homebred trained by Shug McGaughey, ran two dirt sprints last year at 2, finishing fourth both times, and in her two-turn, turf, and 3-year-old bow, she finished seventh at Keeneland this spring. But she has been a different horse since McGaughey brought her back into action this summer at Laurel, and the way Onus has been running, she could prove a major factor in the older filly and mare turf division next year.
Her winning time on firm turf was 1:47.12 for 1 1/8 miles, and Onus paid $6.40 as the second choice. By Blame, Onus is out of Silviculture, who is a sister to McGaughey and Janney’s high-class older turf horse Ironicus.
Virginia-bred turf stakes
** Older horses Two Notch Road and Rose Brier both scored repeat victories in the Punch Line Stakes and the Bert Allen Stakes, respectively. Rose Brier, the odds-on favorite, was two lengths better than chief rival Special Envoy in the Bert Allen around two turns. Two Notch Road, an 8-year-old making just his 24th start, never really was asked to run and galloped to a one-length score in the Punch Line, a sprint.
** Odds-on Exaggerated ran her career mark to 2 for 2, easily capturing the Oakley Stakes, leading from start to finish in the turf sprinter for older females. Complete St. was a half-length best in the Brookmeade for older female route horses, while Away We Go upset the Jamestown, a 2-year-old turf sprint, at odds of 15-1.