Vertical Oak closes powerfully to win Open Mind

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Vertical Oak didn’t seem focused early in Saturday’s $100,000 Open Mind at Churchill Downs, but she gathered herself when the racing mattered most – down the stretch. Set down under stern urging from regular rider Ricardo Santana, she wore down midstretch leader Astrollinthepark to win going away by three-quarters of a length.

The even-money favorite following a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga, where she had set the pace, she was slow into stride and shut off when the front-running Courtmewithcarats crossed in front of her early down the backstretch. This led her to retreat to sixth in a seven-horse field as the field left the backstretch of the six-furlong race.

Then she got in gear. Vertical Oak began to gain on the outside on the turn and kept surging down the lane, catching Astrollinthepark, who had taken command in early stretch. Vertical Oak ($4.20), a 4-year-old daughter of Giant Oak, raced six furlongs in 1:10.16, after a lively opening quarter-mile in 21.74 seconds and a half-mile in 45.70.

In victory, Vertical Oak avenged a defeat in the spring at Churchill Downs when third in the Roxelana Stakes to Miss Kentucky, the sixth-place Open Mind finisher, and Astrollinthepark.

“Obviously, some very fast fillies that she competed with in the past, so it was nice to see her turn the tables,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains her for Kirk and Judy Robison.

P Boo, a 15-1 longshot, rallied to be third, 4 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up. Following P Boo across the wire were Thirteen Songs, Courtmewithcarats, Miss Kentucky, and Our Majesty.