WHAT WINS THE OAKS AT BELMONT SATURDAY NIGHT?

Coaching Club American Oaks -- Grade 1

Race 9 at Belmont Park

Saturday, July 25, 2009 -- Post Time 5:17 p.m. ET

1 1/4 miles, for 3-year-old fillies

Purse: $300,000

With only two of the eight 3-year-old fillies entered in the Grade 1, $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks having won their last starts, the race looks like a wide open event. Grade 3 Iowa Oaks winner Hightap earned her second consecutive graded-stakes victory at the end of June and might have what it takes to win this Grade 1 race. Funny Moon won an allowance race at Belmont three weeks ago by eight and one-quarter lengths 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. Devotee won the UAE Oaks in February and finished third to Livin Lovin just three weeks ago so is another that might improve back to top stakes form. Grade 3 Florida Oaks winner Don't Forget Gil, Acorn third-place finisher Casanova Move and last December's Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet runner-up Wynning Ride might be competitive in this situation. What a Pear rounds out the field.

Livin Lovin broke her maiden impressively in her second career start last September, winning by eight lengths in her first route race. After finishing second by a half length in the Mazarine Stakes last October to earn a 98 Equibase Speed Figure, Livin Lovin won the Tempted Stakes at Aqueduct by four lengths to earn a 100 figure. Livin Lovin was probably in need of a race when running in the Acorn Stakes in June at Belmont following seven months off. In spite of breaking slowly and the layoff, she rallied from last of nine and was beaten just a neck for third and three-quarters of a length for second. Having earned a 102 figure in the Acorn and likely to improve significantly off that effort, Livin Lovin could be capable of earning her first grade 1 stakes victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks.

Funny Moon finished a poor eighth in the Acorn although well regarded at 4-1 odds. With a big rebound to top form following the Acorn, Funny Moon dominated by eight lengths just three weeks ago at Belmont in a one-mile race. Although she earned only a 94 figure in that victory, Funny Moon had earned a 99 figure two races prior to that when winning, also at Belmont. As a granddaughter of Easy Goer and a daughter of Malibu Moon, Funny Moon is bred to easily handle the mile and one quarter distance of the Coaching Club American Oaks, and having demonstrated a liking for this track she could have a big say in the outcome.

Devotee broke her maiden last summer at Saratoga in her career debut, earning a strong 85 figure for a 2-year-old filly. Following a third-place effort last fall in the Alcibiades Stakes at Keeneland, she was sent to Dubai for the winter, where in her second start as a 3-year-old she won the UAE Oaks in handy fashion. Trying turf for the first time after the Oaks, Devotee ran poorly, but then when moved back to dirt on July 3 she finished only a half length from the runner-up in the race won by Funny Moon. As a granddaughter of Sunday Silence, Devotee is another filly bred to run all day, so with logical improvement in her second start at the meeting and having proven capable of winning a stakes race in top company this year, Devotee must be considered a contender to win the Oaks.

Casanova Moon has not threatened to win a single race this year, but at the same time she has been no worse than third in her last five races. With the last four of those races being graded stakes, earning 108 and 103 figures in two of the four, and now changing trainers to the barn of Todd Pletcher, Casanova Moon is a horse we must consider if we play any exactas or similar exotic wagers.

The rest of the field with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures is Don't Forget Gil (102), Hightap (100), What a Pear (98) and Wynning Ride (106).

My Selections:

Livin Lovin

Funny Moon

Devotee

Good question but a tough one, that's for sure. I believe most of these fillies are lightly raced and not much PP's to go on. And since this is an opinion based question, I do hope the trolls will leave me alone. I am realy tired of answering questions that are opinion based and getting thumbs down for them.

Even thought these fillies are lightly raced, there are a few that stand out. Going off at 5/2 we can't rule out Kentucky Moon. Casanova Moon is 4/1, Livin Lovin is 3/1 and Asmussens Hightap ridden by Edgar Prado is 5/1. So it should be a good race and right now, I would say it is going to be a close one. Happy racing.