Uptown Twirl scores as odds-on favorite in Pleasanton Oaks

Although the pace scenario was different, the final result was the same as Uptown Twirl scored her second straight stakes victory, defeating Moment Is Right again in winning the $52,400 Pleasanton Oaks at the Oak Tree at Pleasanton meet on Saturday.

Uptown Twirl ($3) defeated Moment Is Right after setting the pace in the Surfside Stakes at Los Alamitos on April 24. Moment Is Right briefly stuck her head in front in the lane that day before Uptown Twirl quickly retook the lead and pulled clear for a 1 1/4-length win.

Mother Luck, who had won her debut at Golden Gate Fields on May 14, broke alertly from the rail in the Oaks, grabbing the lead down the backstretch with Moment Is Right in close pursuit.

Uptown Twirl sat in third as Andean tried to keep her boxed in along the inside.

Juan Hernandez just let Uptown Twirl relax and was able to pull away from Andean on the turn as he chased the top pair. They moved three wide turning for home as Mother Luck began to fade.

Uptown Twirl clearly had her primary rival measured and pulled clear in the lane, winning the six-furlong stakes for 3-year-old fillies by two lengths in 1:09.80. Andean was third, one length behind Moment Is Right.

A daughter of Twirling Candy, Uptown Twirl is trained by John Sadler was a $630,000 purchase by Hronis Racing in March 2015. Her victory Saturday was worth $31,500, lifting her career earnings to $166,214.

She is a half-sister of Anytime Magic, who won the Everett Nevin here as a 2-year-old and was an opening-day winner at the current meet in a $2,500 claimer.