The Irish Oaks

The feature on Saturday here in Ireland is The Irish Oaks (G1). The race will be held at a mile and a half on the turf and is open to three-year-old fillies. With a total purse of $750,000 up for grabs and a weather forecast that promises a firm course for this weekend’s running, the race has drawn in a full field of fourteen fillies. The Group I race is set to go off at 8:20 AM EST. Let’s take a look through this year’s contenders.  

1. Ano Karytotes (IRE) – plano4 – V. Sullivan – 12/1 

Drawing the rail and coming off of two consecutive wins and making her second start against group company in this race, the chestnut filly is sired by New Bay and out of the Group II winning dam The Swarm. This filly is the mare’s first Group winner. The most recent start for the filly came last May during her group stakes debut which took place in The Royalmont (G3) at a mile and a half in France. With a total field of seven, the chestnut filly broke sharply and ran right with the pacesetter, who only had a head in front. At the midway point of the filly put away her competition and went on to cross the wire in front by a margin of three and one-quarter lengths, equaling a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-nine. She’d set this speed figure in her prior start, a nine and a half furlong allowance race here in Ireland, which she also won. 

2. Krank (ENG) – tees103 – M. Zeus – 8/1 

Making just her sixth career start this weekend, the daughter of Frankel (GB) is seeking her first group stakes win. She made her debut against group company in her most recent start in the Oaks de English (G1) last June in England over a mile and a half. The filly, out of group placed dam Crack Weapon, was held back towards the back half of the field, in eighth at the start. The filly had moved into third by the time the field reached the midway point of the race and was mounting a challenge for the front as they came down the stretch. She would come up short to cross the wire in second while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred five. Her most recent win came in April during a listed stakes race in Spain over ten and a half furlongs. 

3. Ragnar’s Star (IRE) – flyracingstable – M. Vinson – 12/1 

This filly will be taking a step up in class and is making her first start against Group I company this weekend. With five career starts to date, the bay filly most recently started in England during The Rippleschip Stakes (G2) at a mile and a half. The filly shot out of the gate sharply, contended for the lead early and soon established herself as the pacesetter of the race. She would go on to win the race by a length and three-quarters while setting a speed figure one hundred one, a lifetime best for the speed figure. She was also group placed in her only other group start, The Diana Trail (G2), taking place over a mile and three-eighths in Germany last April over a good turf track. 

4. The New Reality (IRE) – cjt5 – J. Cox – 30/1 

Making her second start against group company on Saturday, this chestnut filly sired by New Bay has won twice in her seven lifetime starts. Her most recent start was a group stakes debut for the filly, which came in Australia this past May during the Adelaide Stakes (G1) over a mile and a half. The filly broke well from the gate, settling just off the pace early in third. She had taken over the lead midway through the race, but was overtaken by a late closer in the stretch to cross the wire in second, setting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-four. The most recent win for the filly was in late March in a nine and a half furlong dirt race held on a sloppy course in France. This filly will be going off as the longshot for the race. 

5. Tete Saxxas (GB) – wisbyzews3 – B. Ilo – 26/1 

Another longshot going into the race in the fifth post, this bay filly by Sea The Moon is makng her group stakes debut. Her most recent start was in May over ten and a half furlongs in an allowance race in France. After breaking well and setting just off the pace in second, the filly was urged to make her move midway through the race before going on to win by two and a half lengths and posting a lifetime best speed figure of ninety-six. This was her first win since she broke her maiden at first asking in January. This will be a big step up in class for the filly, who has never started beyond allowance company.  

6. Acts Of Love (ENG) – bangkorai – M. Bia – 23/1 

By top sire Dubawi (IRE), this chestnut filly is making her second group start this weekend. Her most recent start was this past May in Australia during the Adelaide Oaks (G1) at a mile and a half. Up against a ten horse field, the filly broke out of the gate near the back, settling into eighth early. At the midway point of the race the filly had begun to make her move in the race and had snuck into sixth at the midway point of the race. She continued her bid into the stretch but would come up short with a third-place finish, setting a speed figure of ninety. Her most recent win was in January during an allowance race in Australia over nine furlongs. Up against a short field, the filly broke in second out of the gate and made her bid late in the stretch, going on to overtake the other filly and win the race by two lengths. 

7. Sail By Choice (AUS) – gosome – M. Anitou – 11/1 

Making her eleventh career start on Saturday, the Australian-bred filly is sired by Extreme Choice (AUS). The chestnut filly most recently started in France last month during The Mallrat (G2) at a mile and a half. She struck out of the gate and went straight to the lead, maintaining this position right up into the stretch before she was overtaken by a late closer to finish second, setting a speed of ninety-seven, while finishing just three-quarter lengths off the pace of the winner. Her most recent win was in March in an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs in the United States. This time she would manage to take the field from gate to wire, winning by two and a quarter lengths. 

8. Beat Of The Music (ENG) – texasace – K. Ledwith – 6/1 

By top sire Frankel (GB), this bay filly is out of the Group II winning dam Of All Time, who has produced two group winners, including this filly. The English-bred filly most recently started this past May in Australia during the Adelaide Oaks (G1) at a mile and a half. The filly came out of the gate in the race and settled near the back in seventh. She would quickly start picking off other runners over the course of the mile and a half distance. In the stretch the filly took over the lead and went on to win the race by three and a quarter lengths while setting an easy speed figure of ninety-seven. In April the filly recorded a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred three while finishing second in The Diana Trail (G2) in Germany. 

9. Scioptic (IRE) – plano22 – J. Bradley – 9/1 

Coming into this race off of two consecutive wins, the bay filly is the first foal of the Group III winning dam Ghettotech. The filly made her most recent start in May during The Diana Grand Prix (G1) in Germany over a mile and three-eighths. The filly was forwardly placed in the race out of the gate, settled just off the front-running pace in fourth early. She would make her move at the midway point in the race and had gotten the lead by the time the field had reached the stretch. She went on to win in her group stakes debut by three and a quarter lengths and setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred one. Her other consecutive win was against allowance company in Ireland this past April. 

10. Mistakemystatement (GB) – sonsof2020 – N. Labreche – 8/1 

Eclipsing the one-million-dollar mark in career earnings with her win in her most recent start, the bay filly has finished off the board only once in her career. The daughter of Kingman most recently started in England this past June during the Oaks de English (G1) at a mile and a half. Facing a full field of fourteen, the filly broke sharply from the gate and was held just off the lead in second early out of the gate. Urged forward to make her move halfway through the race, the filly took over the lead and went on to win the race by a length and a quarter while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred six. This was only the fillies second group start, her only other coming in The Cleopatra (G3) at a mile and five-sixteenths in France this past April where she would finish second. 

11. Livonya Silone (ENG) – standflu – T. Brewer – 5/1 

Making just the second Group I start of her career, this bay filly is coming into the race off of two consecutive wins. The most recent start for the filly was in The Italian Oaks (G2) over a mile and three-eighths in Italy this past June. Facing a thirteen-horse field, the filly came out of the gate and settled into fifth early. At the midway point of the race she had overtaken the lead and didn’t look back as she coasted home to win by three while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred three. Her prior win came in April during a listed stakes race in South Korea over ten furlongs. Her only other Group I start was as a two-year-old during the Breeders’ Bowl Filly Juvy Turf (G1) at a mile where she crossed the wire fourteenth. She is set as the morning line favorite for the race. 

12. Digital Dilemma (FR) – stallbrabant – B. Doherty – 6/1 

Taking a big step up in the distance for this race from what the filly is accustomed to running, the bay daughter of Intello is a Group I winner, winning half of her ten career starts. The most recent start for the filly was in England in the Crown Stakes (G1) at seven furlongs last month. The filly faced a full field and came out of the gate in fourth. At the midway point of the race she had advanced into third, but was soon lost in the shuffle for the front and was pushed back to cross the wire in sixth while setting a speed figure of one hundred one. The most recent win for the filly also came in England, though in the Kiss And Tell Sprint (G2), also at seven furlongs. The filly took the race from gate to wire, winning by a length and a quarter. The longest distance the filly has run to date was as a two-year-old in the Euro Future Filly Final (G1) at a mile and one-sixteenth in Belgium, which the filly did win by one and three-quarter lengths. 

13. Keep Watching (KY) – flightlineasr – A. Craig – 11/1 

The only American-bred horse in the race, this filly is undefeated on the turf and is coming into the race this weekend off of four consecutive wins. The most recent start for the bay daughter of Flightline came in Japan this past May in the Japanese Oaks (G1) at a mile and a half. The filly came out of the gate and settled towards the middle of the field, sixth out of the gate early. She would start to move forward early in the race and gradually began picking off other runners. By the time they reached the stretch the filly had gained the lead and went on to win the race by two and a half lengths while setting a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred three. Prior to this race, the filly also won the New Zealand Oaks (G2) over the same distance in March over a yielding turf course. 

14. Kingsize Sacrifice (ENG) – mfbrooklyn – E. Eberhard – 11/1 

Drawing the far outside gate, this filly is the third in the race to be sired by Kingman. The bay three-year-old will be making her group stakes debut in the race and is coming into the race off of three consecutive wins. The filly most recently started in May during a listed stakes race in the United States over ten and a half furlongs. Coming out of the gate nearly last in the eight-horse race, she was urged to make her move midway through the race. She would go on to win her first stakes start by an impressive three lengths and set a lifetime best speed figure of one hundred three. Her other two wins leading up to that stakes victory included an allowance race over nine and a half furlongs and a maiden special weight over the same distance.  

Flrancho’s Picks: 

Win: Krank (ENG) 

Place: Beat Of The Music (ENG) 

Show: Mistakemystatement (GB)