A trio of Grade 1 winners go at it in the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course, with 8-5 favorite Immersive trying to rebound from her only defeat.
The Godolphin-owned filly, 4-for-4 before losing by a neck to Take Charge Milady in the Monomoy Girl Stakes at Churchill Downs in her 3-year-old debut in June, races at 1 1/8 miles for the first time in taking on five challengers, including Acorn Stakes (G1) winner La Cara (2-1) and Frizette Stakes (G1) winner Scottish Lassie (9-2).
“She’s doing very well,” trainer Brad Cox said of Immersive, the 2-year-old Eclipse Award-winning filly. “She needed her last run in the Monomoy Girl. She ran a great race and galloped out well. I feel like she’s every bit as good this year as she was last year. I really think she’ll move forward off that run.”
Also in the field for the CCAO is Take Charge Milady (9-2) for trainer Kenny McPeek.
After capping her 2-year-old season by winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G2), Immersive was given time off due to bone bruising. In the 1 1/16-mile Monomoy Girl, Immersive dueled with Take Charge Milady but came up just short at the finish.
La Cara, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, won the 1 1/8-mile Acorn at the Spa on June 6 by going gate-to-wire. Casse recently won his 4,000th career race and is obviously optimistic about La Cara’s chances.
“She likes her job, and she loves to train,” Casse said. “She didn’t like the slop at Churchill Downs (ninth in the Kentucky Oaks), but before her last race (the Acorn), (jockey) Dylan (Davis) said to me, ‘this is a different type of slop.’ She handled it great.”
Scottish Lassie, winner of the one-turn mile Frizette in 2024, was third in the Acorn for trainer Jorge Abreu.
“She came out of her last race in great shape, I’ve liked what I’ve seen,” Abreu said. “We just need luck. She was in good position last time but maybe got a little tired.”
McPeek won the CCAO last year with champion Thorpedo Anna and goes for another with Take Charge Milady, who ran second to La Cara in the Ashland Stakes (G1) before a 12th-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks over a wet-fast track.
Post time for the CCAO is 5:38 p.m. ET.
1 Immersive (Manny Franco, Brad Cox), 8-5
2 Sweet Seraphine (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux), 8-1
3 Scottish Lassie (Joel Rosario, Jorge Abreu), 9-2
4 Take Charge Milady (Kendrick Carmouche, Kenny McPeek), 9-2
5 Dry Powder (Jose Lezcano, Chad Summers), 12-1
6 La Cara (Dylan Davis, Mark Casse), 2-1
