Scottish Lassie (McKinzie), winless in three attempts since breaking her maiden in style by nine lengths in last fall's GI Frizette S., got back on track in a big way with a daylight decision in Saturday's GI Coaching Club American Oaks Invitational at Saratoga.
The 2-1 shot vied for early command and took over control from champion Immersive (Nyquist) on the clubhouse turn and made her way to the rail in the scratched-down field of four. And it was pretty much over from there.
Scottish Lassie showed the way through fractions of :23.81 and :48.09, began to get away on the far turn and dropped the hammer in the stretch to win by a jaw-dropping 15 1/2 lengths. Immersive completed the exacta.
“Oh my God, this is unbelievable, winning a Grade I at Saratoga,” winning trainer Jorge Abreu said.
“Winning a claiming race at Saratoga is big, imagine a Grade I. This horse was ready coming into this race. Turning for home, I was just walking down the stairs crying. I'm not going to lie to you. On the backside, when I saw them making a little run at her, I said there's no way we are going to get beat now, but when she drove away, that was it.”
Fourth, beaten seven lengths by Immersive at well-backed odds of 7-2 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Scottish Lassie made two previous starts this season. She finished third as the heavy favorite going a one-turn mile in an optional claimer at Aqueduct May 1, then was third again in the GI Acorn S. in the slop at Saratoga June 6.
Pedigree Notes:
Scottish Lassie is one of two Grade I winners for sophomore sire McKinzie.
Scottish Lassie's dam Bodebabe (Bodemeister) was an $8,000 purchase by Ascot Health Farm at the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale in 2018.
She is also responsible for the unraced 2-year-old filly Scot's Law (Tiz the Law), a $50,000 KEESEP yearling purchase by Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust; and a yearling colt by Corniche.
This is the same female family as GISWs Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song) and Visionaire (Grand Slam).
A spectacular display!
SCOTTISH LASSIE didn't just win the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, she had a jaw-dropping 15-length romp under @JRosarioJockey for trainer Jorge Abreu! pic.twitter.com/yhq3pvdUKt
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) July 19, 2025
Saturday, Saratoga
COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS INVITATIONAL S.-GI, $465,000, Saratoga, 7-19, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:50.23, ft.
1–SCOTTISH LASSIE, 122, f, 3, by McKinzie
1st Dam: Bodebabe, by Bodemeister
2nd Dam: Zaharias, by Grand Slam
3rd Dam: Scarlet Tango, by French Deputy
($50,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $85,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR).
O-Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photos Finish
LLC, Corms Racing Stable and Jorge R. Abreu; B-Winchester
Farm (KY); T-Jorge R. Abreu; J-Joel Rosario. $275,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-2-0-3, $677,560. Werk Nick Rating: A+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Immersive, 122, f, 3, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Gap Year, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Dubai Escapade, by Awesome Again
3rd Dam: Sassy Pants, by Saratoga Six
O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox. $100,000.
3–Dry Powder, 118, f, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Tell All, by Broken Vow
2nd Dam: Whisper to Me, by Thunder Gulch
3rd Dam: Word to the Wise, by Diesis (GB)
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($525,000 Ylg
'23 KEESEP). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC
(KY); T-Chad Summers. $60,000.
Margins: 15HF, 6, 3. Odds: 2.35, 0.60, 11.10.
Also Ran: Take Charge Milady. Scratched: La Cara, Sweet Seraphine. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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