Room Service, Nashoba’s Key face off in American Oaks; Fury
Kapcori tops Californian
Grade 1 winner Room Service heads a quality field of eight
sophomore fillies set to contest 1 1/4 miles on turf in the Grade 1, $350,000
American Oaks, which will be run for the first time at Santa Anita on Saturday.
A mainstay at the now-shuttered Hollywood Park dating back
to 2002, the Oaks is unique in that it requires the majority of those running to
do something they’ve never done — compete at 1 1/4 miles — over any surface.
Trained by Midwest-based Wayne Catalano, Room Service comes
off a rousing seven-length dead-heat win in the 8 1/2-furlong Ashland Stakes
over Keeneland’s synthetic Polytrack on April 5. Prior to that, the homebred
daughter of More Than Ready was a two-length winner of
the Herecomesthebride Stakes going nine grassy furlongs at Gulfstream Park
on March 2, which followed a season-opening third in the one-mile Sweetest Chant
over that same track’s turf course in late January.
A dedicated deep closer, Room Service was 12 lengths off
the pace after the first half mile in the Ashland and her style of running would
suggest she’ll appreciate the added distance in Saturday’s contest. Ridden to victory by Shaun Bridgmohan in the Ashland, she’ll be handled again by the Louisiana native in
the Oaks.
Like Room Service, Nashoba’s Gold is also in search of her
third consecutive win. The Smart Strike homebred enters the American Oaks off a
pair of graded wins at 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita’s grass — the April 5 Providencia and
May 4 Honeymoon.
Trained by Carla Gaines, Nashoba’s Gold is just a half-length away from being undefeated in four starts, all of them on turf. A
first-out maiden special weight winner at 1 1/8 miles on February 8, she was second
in the China Doll when beaten a half-length going one mile in her second start by Diversy Harbor, who
she defeated in both the Provdencia and Honeymoon and will face again on
Saturday.
Nashoba’s Gold has a stalking style and will again be handled by regular
rider Joe Talamo while breaking from post 2 Saturday.
A first-out maiden winner going about 6 1/2 furlongs down Santa
Anita’s hillside turf course, Diversy Harbor came rolling to
defeat Nashoba’s Gold in the China Doll Stakes next out on March
8. Ridden from off the pace in her first three starts by Gary
Stevens, the Tom Proctor-trained daughter of Curlin was up-close and rank with
apprentice Drayden Van Dyke when running third, beaten a length, in the
Honeymoon. She’ll be ridden for
the first time by Mike Smith on Saturday and will likely be taken off the early
pace.
Sweet Bliss is also exiting the Honeymoon, having run second by just a length
to Nashoba’s Gold. The Street Cry homebred was a close third two
starts back in a 1 1/8-mile turf allowance at Santa Anita, and broke her maiden
second out on that track’s dirt in late January 30 while going 8 1/2 furlongs. Corey Nakatani
was aboard for that initial victory and her allowance third, and will likely
give the John Shirreffs pupil a stalking trip in
the Oaks.
Along with trainer Chad Brown’s Little Journey, Tiz the Key
is one of only two Oaks runners who have competed at 1 1/4 miles.
Tiz the Key
was victorious at the distance in a first condition allowance over Santa Anita’s
turf course on May 18 for conditioner Richard Mandella. The Tiznow miss was a close second early and showed a
lot of gameness late, winning by three-quarters of a length as the 6-5 favorite
under Stevens, who will be out of town on Saturday to ride at Penn
National. Tiz the Key will thus be ridden for the first time by Tyler Baze.
A rousing 4 1/2-length maiden winner going one mile on dirt
two starts back, Tiz the Key will try stakes company for the first
time in the American Oaks but is on the improve and could pose a stout threat.
French-bred Little Journey ran a close third when making her
U.S. debut in the 1 1/16-mile Edgewood Stakes on May 2 over Churchill Downs’
turf. Prior to that, the gray daughter of Great Journey had the lead late before
finishing third, beaten a head, going 10 grassy furlongs two starts back in France
on November 10.
Little Journey should benefit from the race at Churchill and will ship in from
Saratoga Springs, New York, with Joe Bravo aboard for the first time in the Oaks.
Completing the American Oaks field are Loan Savant, who is 1-1-1 from 11
career starts, and Kissin Lucky Lips, winless from five lifetime trips to the
gate.
One race prior to the American Oaks, Fury Kapcori seeks his fifth straight
victory against a competitive group of seven older runners in the Grade 2,
$200,000
Californian at nine furlongs.
The Tiznow four-year-old actually began his current streak in his season
opener, taking a 1 1/16-mile optional claimer by 2 3/4 lengths on New Year’s
Day. The Jerry Hollendorfer trainee then added a one-mile allowance victory on
February 7 before capturing the Santana Mile in late March and the Precisionist
on May 3 in his most recent effort.
The injured Rafael Bejarano was aboard for all four of those wins, so Fury
Kapcori will get a switch to Nakatani on Saturday.
Clubhouse Ride posted a 2 1/4-length score in last year’s Californian, but
has been unable to visit the winner’s circle in eight starts since. The Candy
Ride six-year-old did run a half-length third in the San Carlos and third behind
Fury Kapcori in the Santana Mile before finishing fourth most recently in the
Charles Town Classic on April 19.
Talamo has the call on Clubhouse Ride after Baze, who partnered the chestnut
in his last four, chose to stay with Majestic Harbor in the Californian.
Part of Baze’s decision could come from the fact that Majestic Harbor just
romped by three geared-down lengths in the Tokyo City Cup on March 29. Also
entering Saturday’s race off a win is Storm Fighter, who wired the state-bred
restricted Tiznow by 3 1/4 lengths on April 26.
Multiple Peruvian Group 1 winner Fly Lexis Fly, unraced since a third in last
July’s Eddie Read at Del Mar, returns in the Californian following a 315-day
vacation. Rounding out the field are 2013 Tokyo City Cup hero Sky Kingdom; Grade
2 scorer Handsome Mike, runner-up in the Precisionist; and Grade 3 scorer
Majestic City, third in the Precisionist.
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