Tomorrow all eyes will be focused on Saratoga and the G1 2022 Coaching Club American Oaks. With a card packed full of action we preview this legendary race as well as the Group 3 Caress Stakes.
Coaching Club American Oaks
Group One, One mile and an eighth, open to three year old fillies. Total prize pool $500,000.
One of America’s oldest and finest races is upon with this year’s Coaching Club American Oaks. The race having moved to Saratoga from Belmont in 2010 promises to be a cracker.
Only five will head to post for this year’s renewal and the betting is dominated by two of the best three year old fillies in the country.
Current favourite for the race is Nest who is trained by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz.
A Grade One winner earlier in the season, Nest is looking to add to her haul of Group One victories here.
She takes on an old rival in the form of Secret Oath and is looking to turn the tables following her defeat in the Kentucky Oaks earlier in the season.
Pletcher’s charge heads into this contest off the back of a defeat in the Belmont Oaks but she ran her illustrious stablemate Mo Donegal all the way. Despite the defeat, the time she ran was actually faster than Secret Oath’s and there is real confidence that she will be able to turn the tables here.
Secret Oath will be hoping that she can once again get the better of Nest and win her second Grade One of the season.
Ridden by Luis Saez and trained by D Wayne Lucas, the jury is slightly out on Secret Oath following her last performance in the Preakness.
In a classy race, she produced a battling performance to finish in fourth place behind some top class horses including Early Voting and Epicenter.
The slight drop in trip should be in her favour and the fact she has winning form in the book over her main rival should provide real confidence to her backers.
Everything looks set for a monumental duel.
Although this could develop into a two horse race there are three other horses who deserve consideration.
The speed angle of the race looks to be with Society who will try to dictate things from the front.
An unknown quantity, she has won all three of her starts and is looking to take the step up to Graded company in her stride. This is a far tougher race but she could be the value angle of the race.
Another horse looking to take a step up in class is Butterbean. Never out of the top two in any of her races, she was a good winner of the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks. A career best will be needed if she is to keep her impressive record in tact.
Last in the betting is Nostalgic. Seen as the outsider of the field she has a lot to find with Secret Oath. She finished tenth in the Kentucky Oaks which Secret Oath won and you have to think something extraordinary would have to happen if she was to reverse that form.
Coaching Club Oaks Betting Prediction
Despite being on the losing end earlier in the season, Nest will be fancied to turn the tables on her great rival Secret Oath. With the Preakness looking like a tough and gruelling race it will be interesting to see if it has left any sort of mark on D Wayne Lucas’s runner. It will be a battle but Nest should just win.
| HORSE | JOCKEY | HORSE RACING ODDS BY JAZZSPORTS |
| Butterbean | Julien R. Leparoux | +800 |
| Society | Tyler Gaffalione | +800 |
| Nest | Irad Ortiz Jr. | -100 |
| Nostalgic | Junior Alvarado | +1000 |
| Secret Oath | Luiz Saez | +120 |
Caress Stakes
Grade 3, five and a half furlongs, open to fillies and mares who are four or older. Total prize pool $200,000
Ten will head to post for this year’s Caress Stakes, in what looks set to be a fast and frenetic dash to the line, the betting is led by last year’s winner Caravel.
Now a five year old and trained by Brad Cox, Caravel heads into this race off the back of a victory in the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes, and faces many of the same horses she beat that day.
Her performance in the Intercontinental was impressive as she won leading from gate to wire. In a race as deep as this it’s unlikely she will get a soft time of things up front and it will be interesting to see how that could impact her chances.
A horse she just held off in the Intercontinental was Star Devine. Star Devine will be ridden by the excellent John Velazquez and both Velazquez and trainer Jorge Abreu will be wiser in how to beat Caravel this time around. Look for Star Devine to be much nearer the pace as they turn for home.
Lady Edith is another who ran in the Intercontinental and she battled hard to finish in 4th spot. Tapped for toe on that occasion she is another who will need to judge the pace better.
Vying for favouritism is Bout Time who will be ridden by Luis Saez for trainer Cherie DeVaux. With only three career runs to date, she is certainly the unknown quantity l in the race and is stepping up into graded company for the first time.
An impressive winner in maiden company last time out, she could still be anything and looks a solid alternative angle if backing Caravel just isn’t for you.
Without doubt the most interesting horse in the field is Souper Sensational.
The Mark Casse trained horse is a former Grade 3 winner and arrives at this race following a pair of runner up finishes in Grade One and Grade Two races.
She takes a step back in class and trip for this year’s Caress and could be a big price before the start of the race. She arguably holds the best form of the race and is without doubt the value play.
If you are eyeing an upset for the race it could be that Souper Sensational is the one to provide it.
Caress Stakes Betting Pick
This is a really open race and many horses have a great chance of winning. Caravel will start as a worthy favourite and it wouldn’t be a surprise if she were to win this race for the second straight year. The value play has to be Souper Sensational and that is who we will back here.
| HORSE | JOCKEY | HORSE RACING ODDS BY JAZZSPORTS |
| Caravel | Tyler Gaffalione | +250 |
| Miss J McKay | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | +600 |
| Star Devine (IRE) | John R. Velazquez | +450 |
| Bout Time | Luis Saez | +300 |
| Tobys Heart | Ricardo Santana, Jr. | +800 |
| Robin Sparkles | Javier Castellano | +1500 |
| Lady Edith | Trevor McCarthy | +1200 |
| Souper Sensational | Dylan Davis | +800 |
| Kept Waiting | Kendrick Carmouche | +3000 |
| Fouette | Jose Lezcano | +3000 |
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