The 2009 Coaching Club American Oaks Results

Chantal Sutherland Says:

Eight fairly evenly matched fillies go postward Saturday in the Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks. Grade 3 Iowa Oaks winner Hightap earned her second consecutive Grade 3 win but now steps up to Grade 1 company. Funny Moon won an allowance race at Belmont three weeks ago by eight and one-quarter lengths (over the mud) and now has three wins in five career starts. Livin Lovin can improve off her fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes in June as she had been away from the races for seven months prior to that race and she did break slow and go 5 wide in that race. Grade 3 Florida Oaks winner Don’t Forget Gil and last December’s Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet runner-up Wynning Ride might be competitive in this situation. Devotee is another filly bred to run all day and being trained by Godolphin, she could well upset at a generous price. She didn't handle the muddy going last time out, losing by almost 9 lengths to Funny Moon, but if she gets a fast surface she has shown the talent in the past to compete with these ,having won the U.A.E. Oaks in February. Casanova Move is coming off two consecutive third place finishes in the Grade 1 Acorn and G2 Black Eyed Susan, respectively. She has twiced finished runner up in Grade 2 events at Gulfstream Park, so she has the stakes experience, but she has not yet delivered for a stakes win. What a Pear completes the lineup.