Vertical Oak (Giant Oak) found the seven furlongs of the Aug. 5 GI Test S. to be a bit out of her scope when she disputed the pace and flattened out to finish fifth, but the filly rebounded in a big way with an authoritative score in Sunday's six-furlong GII Prioress S. over a sloppy racetrack at Saratoga. The win was the second graded stakes tally for the J. Kirk and Judy Robison colorbearer–who captured the GIII Miss Preakness S. at Pimlico May 19–and her second win in as many tries over an off track.
“This race suited us better than the Test, and we took a bit of a shot in the Test,” said winning trainer Steve Asmussen. “She's a very seasoned filly. She broke her maiden here last year. She likes it here at Saratoga…Backing up to three-quarters today helped her for the distance. The cool mornings that we've had has kept her sharp.”
Away to a clean start, Vertical Oak prompted the pace outside of Student Body (Colonel John) through fractions of :22.21 and :45.24 and moved to reach even terms with that rival midway on the far turn as Downtown Mama (Speightstown) ranged up on the outside to make it three across the track. Finding more as those two rivals faltered turning for home, the filly bounded clear to win easily as Nonna Mela (Arch) gave belated chase to finish second.
“Steve told me she loves the slop and to let her do her thing,” said Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, who has enjoyed a stellar Saratoga meet, winning at a 26% rate. “I came out running to make sure I got the position I wanted. Once I got the horse to the outside, I gave her a little chance to run around the turn and when I asked her down the lane she was running nicely.”
A second-out maiden winner over trip-and-track last August, Vertical Oak added a second win in a Churchill optional claimer in November. She added her first stakes success with a front-running score over a wet strip in the Goldfinch S. at Prairie Meadows Apr. 29, a win that set her up for her Miss Preakness score the following month. The chestnut was declared a non-starter after getting an unfair break in Belmont's June 11 Jersey Girl S. and bounced back from that debacle with a good runner-up effort in the GIII Victory Ride S. in Elmont July 9. The Test marked her first try beyond 6 1/2 furlongs and the only finish outside of the superfecta in her career.
“Today was perfect and most likely a try against older mares at three-quarters is what we'll [do] next,” Asmussen said.
Pedigree Notes:
Dam Vertical Vision was a two-time stakes winner as a 2-year-old in 2010 for Asmussen and longtime client Heiglbrodt Racing Stable and was subsequently purchased by winning breeder Millennium Farms for $77,000 as part of Fasig-Tipton's Heiglbrodt dispersal. Vertical Oak is the second foal out of the now 10-year-old mare, who is also responsible for a juvenile colt by Paynter and a yearling colt by Animal Kingdom. Jody Huckabay purchased Vertical Vision, in foal to Elusive Quality, for $50,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale and the resulting foal was a filly born Apr. 11. Vertical Oak became recently deceased sire Giant Oak's first graded stakes winner with her Miss Preakness score.
Saturday, Saratoga
PRIORESS S.-GII, $250,000, SAR, 9-3, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.00, sy.
1–VERTICAL OAK, 120, f, 3, by Giant Oak
1st Dam: Vertical Vision (MSW, $202,979), by Pollard's Vision
2nd Dam: Caney Creek, by Service Stripe
3rd Dam: Grace Creek, by Allen's Prospect
($20,000 Ylg '15 FTKOCT). O-J. Kirk and Judy Robison; B-Millennium Farms (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen; J-John R. Velazquez. $150,000. Lifetime Record: 12-5-2-1, $444,200. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. [bullet ad=”millennium-bred-sold”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Nonna Mela, 118, f, 3, Arch–Cool Storm, by Storm Cat. ($310,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-St. Elias Stable; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $50,000.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-sales-bullet-hip-no-1593″][bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”winstar-bred”]3–Dawn the Destroyer, 118, f, 3, Speightstown–Dashing Debby, by Medaglia d'Oro. O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Kiaran P. McLaughlin. $25,000.[bullet ad=”stonestreet-bredraised”]Margins: 5 1/4, 1 1/4, NK. Odds: 4.70, 3.50, 2.80.
Also Ran: Golden Mischief, Student Body, Downtown Mama, Royal Inheritance, Yorkiepoo Princess. Scratched: Sister Kan.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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