The Belmont Oaks is the first Grade 1 of the fall meeting
The Belmont Oaks is the first Grade 1 of the fall meeting
By the NY Hot List Staff // Thursday, September 17
The $250,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational, which drew a field of five 3-year-old fillies, is the first Grade 1 of the 2020 fall meeting. The even money morning line favorite Magic Attitude will make her first start in America in the mile and a quarter turf contest.
The Belmont Oaks shapes up as a match-up between two European-bred fillies that won Group 3 races in France and the Kentucky-bred winner of the Saratoga Oaks in August.
Magic Attitude went to the barn of Arnaud Delacour after running third in a Group 1 in France in July. She has been training at Fair Hills in Maryland and will get Lasix for the first time in Saturday’s Oaks.
“She arrived here in late July. We liked her right away,” said Delacour. “She’s not very big, but she’s very athletic. She moves very well on the grass. She’s training very well. We’ve gotten to know her a little bit. It looks like she needs to be covered up, so we put her behind a pacesetter to let her relax and then gallop out strong.”
Neige Blanche, who is 5-1 third choice on the morning line, ran fourth in her first American start in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) for trainer Leonard Powell.
“It was her first race stateside and although the pace wasn’t very strong, she was a little outpaced the first part of the race but it was still a promising debut and she finished very well,” said Powell. “I’m hoping the mile and a quarter on the big track at Belmont Park will be to her liking. Hopefully, she will not be too far back as it’s going to be a small field.”
The Godolphin home-bred Antoinette is the 9-5 second-choice for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. She finished third in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), and the Wonder Again (G3). Equally adept on dirt and grass, she was a frontrunning winner of her most recent start on the turf in the Saratoga Oaks.
Here are the Hot List picks for the Belmont Oaks:
The $250,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), Belmont Park, Saturday, Race 5.
(5) Antoinette was the front-end winner of the Saratoga Oaks back in August for Bill Mott. She seems to have a distinct pace advantage against this small field where two European-bred runners are the main competition. The Euros lack early speed so jockey John Velazquez should be able to control the race with Antoinette. (4) Neige Blanche has the advantage of having made a start in America already in a Grade 1 and that could serve her well as so goes an extra furlong in the Oaks. (2) Magic Attitude battled some of the top fillies in France, but she runs the risk of falling far behind the top choice or getting pressed to stay close in the early stages of the race. Trainer Delacour wins with only 12% of his first-time American runners. (1) Setting the Mood gets the services of Luis Saez for the first time and no doubt that he will try and keep this Todd Pletcher runner close to the early pace.
Analysis of the other New York Hot List races and the Special Saturday Pick 3 are available free of charge at this website.