Coaching Club American Oaks

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Every filly in Saturday’s $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) faces the
same problem of going 1 1/4 miles for the first time. Of the eight entered at
Belmont Park, four have gone nine furlongs, and we’re tabbing one of those lasses
to successfully go the extra, not mile, but eighth on Saturday.

CASANOVA MOVE (Langfuhr) hasn’t won since breaking her maiden at Saratoga
last August, but the dark bay miss has finished out of the
top three only once from six races. Of her placings, she’s run
second in the Davona Dale S. (G2) and Bonnie Miss S. (G2), and filled the third
spot in the Acorn S. (G1) and Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2). For those efforts,
Casanova Move has earned competitive BRIS Speed numbers, including a career-best
101 for the Davona Dale. The three-year-old is returning off a near two-month
break with new trainer Todd Pletcher in this spot, and should be ready to go under John Velazquez.

HIGHTAP (Tapit) will be going for her third straight win when breaking from
the gate in the CCA Oaks, and the gray lass has the ability to take this one
with Edgar Prado taking over riding duties from an injured Shaun Bridgmohan. She
is four-for-five this year, capturing the Dogwood S. (G3) and Iowa Oaks (G3) in
her past two races for Steven Asmussen, and has shown versatility in her running
style, winning while pressing the pace as well as stalking. Hightap could
complete the hat trick while earning a Grade 1 victory.

WHAT A PEAR (E Dubai) burned up the inner dirt at Aqueduct over the winter,
taking her first four races in easy fashion, including a 10 1/4-length
domination of the Busher S. on February 22. That win also netted the Joseph
Parker-trained chestnut a field-best 105 BRIS Speed rating, but she regressed
badly when switched to Keeneland’s Polytrack for her next start in the Ashland
S. (G1). What a Pear was ninth and last on that day, and didn’t appear to like
the sloppy, sealed surface at Belmont in her last race, running fifth in the
seven-furlong Bouwerie S. The sophomore miss, who has been working bullets in
advance of this one, can return to her winter form while stretching back out to
a distance here, and will have Cornelio Velasquez aboard.

Trainer Steve Klesaris passed on both the Delaware Oaks (G2) and Delaware H.
(G2) in favor of running LIVIN LOVIN (Birdstone) in the CCA Oaks, and the bay
filly has the ability to vindicate that decision. She captured the Tempted S.
(G3) while going a mile at Aqueduct last November and could lead all the way
home in this one. Our biggest knock against the lass is that she’s made just one
start this season, running fourth in the Acorn on June 6. Livin Lovin could be
tough to deny in here, but we’re going to try to beat her.

DON’T FORGET GIL (Kafwain) never factored in the Black-Eyed Susan last out,
finishing a well-beaten eighth and last, but the Mark Hennig charge is more
talented than that. An easy four-length winner of the Florida Oaks (G3) and
second in the Comely S. (G2) prior to the Black-Eyed Susan, the dark bay was
scheduled to go in the June 27 Mother Goose S. (G1) but was withdrawn the day of
the race with an elevated temperature. She’s been given plenty of time to
recover and could make a place for herself in the top three.

WYNNING RIDE (Candy Ride [Arg]) is something of a question mark, having raced
exclusively on synthetic tracks up to this point. The Bob Baffert trainee has
done well against her all-weather rivals, but that form may not transfer well to
Belmont’s dirt. We’ll just watch to see how she handles the transition. DEVOTEE
(Elusive Quality) captured the U.A.E. Oaks in late February in Dubai and was
third last out in a June 3 allowance/optional claimer over the track. However,
her numbers are a bit lower than our top picks and we can’t recommend. FUNNY
MOON (Malibu Moon) is the 5-2 favorite on the morning-line off a dominating 8
1/4-length victory in the aforementioned allowance/optional claimer that Devotee
ran in. Like that one, though, her numbers don’t inspire much confidence, and
her only try against stakes rivals resulted in an well-beaten eighth of nine in
the Acorn. We’ll let her beat us.