SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Blessed to own two of the top 3-year-old fillies in training, the team from Godolphin racing came up with a game plan that would hopefully end up with both horses winning Grade 1 stakes this summer at Saratoga. Wet Paint, fourth as the favorite in the Kentucky Oaks, would target the Coaching Club American Oaks and Alabama. Pretty Mischievous, the upset winner of the Kentucky Oaks who followed up with a win in the Grade 1 Acorn last month at Belmont, would be shortened to seven furlongs and the Grade 1 Test here Aug. 5. The first part of that plan played out to perfection Saturday as Wet Paint rallied from last under Flavien Prat to run down Sacred Wish and win the Grade 1, $485,000 Coaching Club American Oaks by a neck. It was 8 1/2 lengths back to Gambling Girl, the 6-5 favorite, in third. She’s Lookin Lucky and Southlawn completed the field in fourth and fifth. Hoosier Philly, who had just defeated Wet Paint in the Monomoy Girl at Ellis Park last month, was scratched Saturday morning due to a foot issue, according to trainer Tom Amoss. :: DRF's 2023 Saratoga headquarters: Previews, past performances, picks, recaps, news, and more. This was the first Grade 1 win for Wet Paint, who had won three stakes during the winter meet at Oaklawn to establish her as the Kentucky Oaks favorite. “It’s huge to get a Grade 1 with her,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “She accomplished so much this winter at Oaklawn - three big races. She ran well in the Kentucky Oaks, unlucky to not be third, probably sitting a little closer to a hot pace than she’s normally used to.” There was no such hot pace in the Coaching Club, especially after the scratch of Hoosier Philly. She’s Lookin Lucky, under Kendrick Carmouche, established the lead, setting soft fractions of 24.67 for the quarter and 48.81 for the half-mile, being tracked by Sacred Wish. Wet Paint, meanwhile, was last of five, but only four lengths off the pace. Sacred Wish, under Manny Franco, took over from She’s Lookin Lucky outside the quarter pole and came to midstretch with a 2 1/2-length advantage. Prat had started to move Wet Paint around the far turn, and had to come five wide in the lane. Prat set Wet Paint down and he gradually got to Sacred Wish, surging past about 10 yards from the wire. :: Get Saratoga Clocker Reports from Mike Welsch and the Clocker Team. Available every race day.  “I was traveling well all the way around, when we picked it up, it took her a little while to get going but when I tip out and I got her in the clear she made her run,” Prat said. “Turning for home I thought I was going to win, at the eighth pole I was questioning it and then she finally found another gear to get by that filly.” Sacred Wish, a 10-1 shot who was scratched out of the Wilton Stakes on July 14, gave her connections a thrill in the stretch. “The farther we got along in the stretch, getting closer to the wire I was like ‘Man, this is really happening we could win this,” George Weaver, trainer of Sacred Wish, said. “But this is the game.” Wet Paint, a daughter of Blame, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.68, getting an 89 Beyer Speed Figure, and returned $4.90 as the second choice. Wet Paint, out of the dam Sky Painter, was named such relating to an incident that happened after Godolphin Racing’s Essential Quality won the 2021 Travers here in 2021. The silks of the winning owner are painted on a canoe that is placed in the infield lake. According to Godolphin Chief Operating Officer Dan Pride, a Godolphin staffer went to take a picture of the canoe and didn’t realize the paint hadn’t dried when she placed her hand on it. “She had blue paint all over her hand,” Pride said. “So it was fitting to name a horse Wet Paint.” Saturday, Wet Paint left her mark on Saratoga and will get a chance to do it again in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama Aug. 19. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.