Wet Paint targets Alabama Stakes after taking Coaching Club American Oaks
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Since 2000, six fillies who won the Coaching Club American Oaks have come back to win the Alabama. Trainer Brad Cox hopes Wet Paint can join that group, which includes recent Eclipse Award winners Nest, Songbird and Questing.
Cox said Wet Paint came out of her neck victory over Sacred Wish in Saturday’s Coaching Club American Oaks in good order and that he is looking forward to giving her a try at the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Alabama on Aug. 19.
“I would have been okay if it was a mile and a quarter yesterday,” Cox said Sunday morning. “There’s a lot of stamina with her pedigree.”
Wet Paint is by Blame, a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, out of the Street Cry mare Sky Painter. In the Coaching Club, Wet Paint came from last in the five-horse field and was doing her best running in the late stages of the race under Flavien Prat.
“It’s not ideal to be last in a short field with not a lot of pace on,” Cox said. “It shows how good she is. Great she got a Grade 1, excited for Godolphin.”
Wet Paint earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure for her CCA Oaks win.
Godolphin owns not only Wet Paint, but Pretty Mischievous as well. Pretty Mischievous, trained by Brendan Walsh, won the Kentucky Oaks and the Grade 1 Acorn and is targeting the Grade 1 Test here on Aug. 5.
Sacred Wish, the runner-up in the Coaching Club, has plenty of options for her next start including the turf, trainer George Weaver said.
The seven-furlong Test might come back too quick. Weaver said the Alabama or the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion on Sept. 23 could also be considered. Parx Racing, which hosts the Cotillion, also has the $200,000 Cathryn Sophia at a mile and 70 yards on Aug. 22.
“Even with the huge performance yesterday, we’re still learning about her,” Weaver said Sunday. “She’s lightly raced and I’m not 100 percent sure what her best distance is. All I know is she ran huge yesterday in a Grade 1 at Saratoga and we’re delighted.”
Weaver does have a horse for the Test in Dorth Vader, who was beaten just a head by Pretty Mischievous in the Grade 1 Acorn.
On Sunday, Dorth Vader worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds over the Saratoga main track.
Among those who didn’t start in the CCA Oaks that are likely to target the Alabama are Defining Purpose and Taxed, the 1-2 finishers from the Grade 3 Indiana Oaks. Defining Purpose, trained by Kenny McPeek, previously won the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes. Taxed, trained by Randy Morse, previously won the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico.
On Sunday, Taxed worked a half-mile in 51.40 seconds at Churchill Downs. Defining Purpose is likely to return to the worktab this coming weekend in Saratoga, McPeek said.
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