The Los Angeles Oaks – Grade 2
Cub Reporter Roondog here reporting from sunny Southern California on the last of the Graded Stakes races this weekend, the Grade II Los Angles Oaks. The sophomore fillies are carded to go over mile and a 1/16 in the fourteenth race on the card.
The club has put up a $150,000.00 stake which has attracted an even field of twelve runners to face the starter and the bookmakers have installed the Reggie Simcox ridden and John7987 trained SEPTEMBER DAWN (8) as a loose 5-1 joint favourite.
The Johannesburg filly has shipped from New York after her stunning career best performance in winning the listed Pharsea Seattle Memorial over a mile at Belmont by a lengthening 2 ¼ lengths. September Dawn ran 105 that day five weeks ago and the step up over a further half furlong appears perfect.
Sharing favouritism is Catamount’s A P Indy filly WIKIPEDIA (10). She comes into the race of subsequent wins at Stakes level in Italy and Grade III level in Canada. She has put up 100 speeds on both occasions and she should be kicking down the barn after the three week break since shipping south.
Right in behind September Dawn in the Pharsea Seattle Memorial was SALE OF MANHATTAN (9) and trainer/breeder Otistaylor, is confident that his girl can turn the tables this time round. She is likely to settle on the pace and her supporters will be hoping that she can hang on this time round.
While the favourites are is stepping up into grade II level for the first time, CAUSEWAY QUEEN (6), is going the other way, stepping down from the Bluegrass Oaks when the Giant’s Causeway filly choose the worst possible time to run the worst race of her life. Two starts ago she ran second in the Group 1 lool Oaks, following on from her third in the Louisiana Oaks, which has earned her the fourth ranking in the Filly Dirt Classic division. This reporter anyway believes that the odds makers have overreacted in posting 12-1 odds for the weekend and will be getting on.
Three fillies are set to start at 7-1 on Saturday, ROCK SOLID T (3) a Johar filly coming off a third place finish in the Group 2 Black Middle Flower Stakes in Maryland. Veteran hoop Fred Porter will pilot the winner of two of thirteen starts, and she is likely to be contesting the early lead. HI HO MAMBO (5) the only non Kentucky bred in the race, coming off a 102 score in the GR SImsters Kentucky Oaks adds some international flavour to the race and it will interesting to see if she can make the step up to open stakes for the first time. DEVINE WONDER (12) will also look to dominate the race from the front and along with the 3 and the 12 should ensure that there is plenty of speed carded on Saturday.
WILD HENNY is set to go from post 4 and the Henny Hughes filly looms as a potential upsetter. She ran a career best 103 over 7.5 furlongs in running second in the Grade 3 Owner’s Tree at Lexington last start and the extra distance here should suit this late closer, especially with the likely frenetic speed up front.
Winding out the field are four fillies at double figure odds. ENCHANTED TALE (1) and HUNTERS POINT (2) will share the inside running while NOW WOULD BE NICE (7) and JERSEY KATE (11) start from further out. Despite their longer odds, none of these horses can be discounted especially Hunters Point who ran a solid 102 in the Group 3 Timber Stakes over this weeks distance at Philadelphia last start. I also personally have a soft spot for horses with Kate in their name, so a sneaky bet on the 11, who won at stakes level in Georgia at her last start, may not go amiss.
In summary, it looks a race with plenty of speed and many chances. I am going to be spreading my investments wide, looking a good trifecta collect, but for what they are worth here are my picks:
1st: Causeway Queen (6)
2nd: September Dawn (8)
3rd: Wild Henny (4)
And for a little bit of value Jersey Kate (#11)