Trainer Jonathan Thomas has entered three in search of his first American Oaks (G1T), but he faces several trainers who have already won the 1 1/4-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies.
Cherie DeVaux, Leonard Powell, Phil D'Amato, and Richard Baltas are veterans of this race, which began in 2002 as a summer event at Hollywood Park. Upon that track's demise, Santa Anita continues to offer it, now as one of the stakes on its opening-day card. Originally scheduled for Dec. 26, that card has been moved to Dec. 28 due to heavy rain in the forecast.
Thomas' trio all are owned by George Strawbridge Jr.'s Augustin Stables. All have black type, but will be looking for their first grade 1 wins.
As Catch Can comes off a three-quarter-length win in the Sept.6 Old Dominion Oaks at Colonial Downs. She also finished second in the 2024 Mazarine Stakes (G3) at Woodbine, 2025 Sweet Life Stakes at Santa Anita, and 2025 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park. Joel Rosario is coming in for the card and will ride As Catch Can for the first time.
Will Then won the China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita last March after finishing her 2-year-old season with a score in the Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar. Since the China Doll, she has not won, though she finished third in the San Clemente Handicap (G2T). Jockey Flavien Prat takes over on her for Thomas.
Though Ambaya may have the lightest resume of the three Thomas runners, she always gives a good account of herself, with a first, two seconds, a third, and a fourth in five starts. In her only stakes attempt, Ambaya ran third in the Sept. 27 Christiana Stakes at Delaware Park. Antonio Fresu will be aboard.
Baltas could get his third American Oaks, following Lady Prancealot in 2019 and Spanish Queen in 2015. He now trains Atsila, who will be making her North American debut. Atsila won two of seven races in England and Ireland, including the Athasi Stakes (G3) and is group 1-placed. She was a vet scratch from the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) at Del Mar.
D'Amato is always dangerous with turf runners, especially Irish-breds. He won this race in 2022 with Irish-bred Rhea Moon, and he returns this year with another Irish-bred, Slick. Slick hasn't yet made any headway in three graded stakes tries, but she has a couple of nice overnight wins at Santa Anita.
Leonard Powell won the 2023 American Oaks with Anisette and will saddle two— Ribbons and Resolve this time. Ribbons is a front-runner coming off a nose win at a mile in allowance/optional claiming company and is making her stakes debut. Resolve often comes from out of it, which sometimes has forced her into wide trips. She ran third behind Will Then in the Durante.
DeVaux won the 2024 American Oaks with Lael Stables' She Feels Pretty and has Cliffs this year for the same owner. Cliffs in five starts at Churchill Downs and Saratoga has two wins, one at each of those tracks. This will be Cliffs' first stakes attempt.
A Thousand Miles, Take a Breath, and Totally Justified round out the field.
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, December 28, 2025, Race 11Entries: American Oaks presented by Cygames (G1T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1A Thousand Miles (KY) Mike E. Smith 124 Vann Belvoir 30/1 2 2Will Then (KY) Flavien Prat 124 Jonathan Thomas 7/2 3 3Cliffs (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 124 Cherie DeVaux 6/1 4 4Ambaya (KY) Antonio Fresu 124 Jonathan Thomas 8/1 5 5Slick (IRE) Umberto Rispoli 124 Philip D'Amato 20/1 6 6Take A Breath (GB) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 124 Mark Glatt 15/1 7 7Resolve (KY) Diego A. Herrera 124 Leonard Powell 30/1 8 8Totally Justified (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 124 Anna M. Meah 5/1 9 9As Catch Can (FL) Joel Rosario 124 Jonathan Thomas 8/1 10 10Atsila (IRE) Tiago Josue Pereira 124 Richard Baltas 5/2 11 11Ribbons (KY) Mirco Demuro 124 Leonard Powell 15/1
