Peeping Fawn romps at York

Peeping Fawn won her fourth Group 1 race in a row on Wednesday with an impossibly easy victory in the $577,000 Yorkshire Oaks at York, in the process ending any arguments about who is the best 3-year-old filly in Europe.

In fact, her four-length victory in the 1 1/2-mile Oaks probably makes Peeping Fawn the best European female of any age at this point. With Johnny Murtagh merely along for the ride, Peeping Fawn cruised to the lead approaching the quarter pole, then quickened clear to defeat Allegretto, with Trick or Treat third another five lengths behind. Silkwood, the Ribblesdale Stakes winner, never got involved, finishing last of seven, 11 3/4 lengths behind the winner, who was timed in 2:32.70 as the odds-on favorite.

Peeping Fawn's task was eased considerably when her stablemate and defending Yorkshire Oaks titleholder Alexandrova was withdrawn on Tuesday afternoon by trainer Aidan O'Brien, who said that she had suffered a minor setback. A three-time Group 1 winner herself, Alexandrova has not run since Sept. 30, when she was third in the Prix de l'Opera.

As two of Peeping Fawn's Group 1 triumphs - the Pretty Polly Stakes and the Nassau Stakes - have come at the Opera distance of 1 1/4 miles, that race on Arc Day, Oct. 7, is one option for her, as is the 1 1/2-mile Prix Vermeille at Longchamp Sept. 16.