The Jockey Club Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T) may carry a $350,000 purse and offer graded stakes status to the top finishers, but it also will provide the winner with another prize.
While a field of 11 turned out for the Sept.14 turf stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack, some with international roots, the 1 3/8-mile turf test will allow one of them to finally become an open stakes winner.
Caldwell Luvs Gold is a dual stakes winner, but both of those victories by the daughter of Goldencents came in races restricted to New York-breds.
Some of the starters have come close, led by MHM Stables, Sterling Stables, and David Grund's Lady Mary, who will make her United States debut Saturday. Now trained by American Jack Sisterson, the Lawman filly was third last time out in the German Oaks (G1) at Dusseldorf at the 1 3/8-mile distance.
Two starts before that, she was second by a head in the 1 1/4-mile Diana Trial (G3) at Hoppegarten.
"It will be a learning experience for us, how she handles the trip on a flat course with three turns," Sisterson said. "But I think she'll be a versatile filly. In the short time we've had her here in Saratoga, she seems very athletic and could probably handle any sort of trip from a mile to 11 furlongs."
Godolphin's Beautiful Love also has international roots as she made her first six starts in Europe and Dubai. The daughter of Siyouni made her U.S. debut for British trainer Charlie Appleby Aug. 17 with a lackluster sixth in the Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course.
Heading the American contingent is SF Racing's Mont Saint Michel, who started her career in March at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Brendan Walsh, she was fifth beaten three lengths in the 1 1/8-mile Aug. 4 Pucker Up Stakes (G3T) at Ellis Park in her last start and has posted improved speed figures with each of her four career starts.
"She's been doing good and I'm itching to run her that little bit further to see how she does. She's bred to go that far, and she gives me every impression that she'll thrive going that far. Hopefully, that will work out," Walsh said about the 3-year-old Wootton Bassett filly.
Mont Saint Michel was also fourth in the Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park.
LNJ Foxwoods' Mixologist is coming off a promising effort for trainer Brad Cox in an Aug. 16 allowance optional claiming race at Saratoga. The Frosted filly rallied from seventh and closed fast to finish second by a half-length but was then was elevated to first through a disqualification. She is a half sister to two graded stakes winners on turf, Catnip and Princess Grace.
Belmont at the Big A, Saturday, September 14, 2024, Race 10Entries: Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Egyptian Candy (KY) Eric Cancel 122 Daniel Leitch 10/1 2 2Miss Roberts (GB) Romero Ramsay Maragh 122 James Bentley Begg 20/1 3 3Caldwell Luvs Gold (NY) Luis R. Rivera, Jr. 122 Brad H. Cox 15/1 4 4Beautiful Love (IRE) Dylan Davis 122 Charles Appleby 4/1 5 5Justdeny (KY) Junior Alvarado 122 Danny Gargan 8/1 6 6Mont Saint Michel (FR) Kendrick Carmouche 122 Brendan P. Walsh 8/1 7 7Lady Mary (GER) Manuel Franco 122 Jack Sisterson 7/2 8 8Lady Madonna (KY) Jose Lezcano 122 Todd A. Pletcher 10/1 9 9Mixologist (KY) Ruben Silvera 122 Brad H. Cox 9/2 10 10Macanga (KY) Lane J. Luzzi 122 Richard E. Dutrow, Jr. 8/1 11 11Americandreammaker (KY) Jose Antonio Gomez 122 Michelle Hemingway 20/1
