Weep No More sticking with Coaching Club American Oaks

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Rusty Arnold said the decision to run Weep No More in Sunday’s Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga was made long before it was announced that the undefeated champion Songbird would be coming to the race as well.

Arnold said owners Len and Sandy Bromagen want to run Weep No More in the Grade 1 Alabama, a 1 1/4-mile race here Aug. 20, and believe the CCA Oaks is the best place to prep.

“We’re looking to the Alabama – that’s where we’re wanting to run,” Arnold said Friday. “I do think we have a true mile-and-a-quarter horse.”

Weep No More was one of four horses entered Friday against Songbird, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2015 who is 8 for 8 in her career. Songbird, who arrived at Saratoga Wednesday night, drew the rail. She will be followed by Carina Mia, Flora Dora, Weep No More, and Mo d’Amour.

Weep No More also arrived at Saratoga on Wednesday night, picking up the same flight that brought Songbird here. Weep No More only had to come from Lexington, Ky., so her door-to-door trip was three hours.

Weep No More pulled a 30-1 shocker in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland, rallying from far back to beat Rachel’s Valentina by a neck. Cathryn Sophia and Carina Mia were third and fourth in the Ashland. Cathryn Sophia came back to win the Kentucky Oaks, where Weep No More was a troubled seventh, while Carina Mia won the Grade 2 Eight Belles and Grade 1 Acorn.

Arnold said he and Bo Bromagen, the racing manager for his parents’ Ashbrook Farm, thought about running Weep No More in the Delaware Oaks or the Indiana Oaks but decided to stay the course even after Songbird jumped into the race.

“We already decided to come, and I said, ‘Let’s not change, let’s try and get her there the best way we know how,’ ” Arnold said.

Javier Castellano will replace Corey Lanerie on Weep No More.

Paola Queen, who had been under consideration for the CCA Oaks, will instead shorten up to seven furlongs for the Grade 1 Test here Aug. 6, trainer Gustavo Delgado said Thursday.

“The owner prefers the Test, and I prefer the Test,” Delgado said. “Songbird and [Carina Mia] are very strong. I prefer two more weeks.”

Paola Queen finished second to Go Maggie Go in the Gulfstream Oaks. Since then, she has run ninth in the Kentucky Oaks and fifth in the Acorn.

Delgado said that his stakes-winning turf horse Grand Tito would run next in the Grade 2 Bowling Green here on July 30, and that Majesto, the Florida Derby runner-up and 18th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, would run in the $100,000 Curlin Stakes here on July 29.