(from Hollywood Park, USA, Report)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (July 7, 2007) - The ladies took center stage Saturday at Hollywood Park as Edgar Prado guided Panty Raid to victory over local hope Valbenny and Australian invader Anamato in the sixth running of the $750,000 American Oaks.
Panty Raid gave Todd Pletcher - the nation's leading trainer - his second straight victory in the American Oaks, covering 1-1/4 miles in 2:01.53 on the Lakeside Turf Course. Pletcher sent Wait a While west from his New York base a year ago to capture the Grade I event. She went on to win an Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding 3-year-old filly.
"The race came up tough and it was kind of a repeat of last year's race with Wait a While," said Ginny DePasquale, assistant to Pletcher. "She was third choice and this filly has never run on the turf before, but she had two great works over the surface. She likes the distance and she really liked the turf when we worked her at Belmont.
"Todd spoke with Edgar before he left so I left it up to the jockey today," she added. "He rode her at Pimlico when she won the Black-Eyed Susan, so he's got there with her before and he knows the horse."
Panty Raid, fourth on the backstretch, gained the lead at the top of the stretch and did not give an inch when challenged, rewarding backers with a $13 win payoff. "It was a beautiful trip," Prado said. "We were in the perfect position and when I asked, she really responded. In her other races she moved like she would love the turf and she showed today that she can handle it very well."
The victory was the fourth in six starts for Panty Raid, who boosted her earnings to $692,275 with the winning check of $450,000.
Valbenny made her patented late run, but came up a little short for the first time in four starts at Hollywood Park.
"The only bad thing is that the two-horse's (Supposition) saddle slipped and she was going in and out," jockey Alex Solis said. "It kind of made it tough on my filly. I didn't know where to go on the turn. But we got through in the stretch so I really don't want to make any excuses."
Anamato, the Australasian Oaks winner attempting to become the first Australian-bred and trained horse to win a major North American race since Phar Lap in 1932, seemed poised to strike entering the far turn, but did not have the necessary closing kick.
"She's a class filly and showed it today," jockey Michael Rodd said. "She traveled a long way to come here. We're tickled pink the way she ran. I think I could have finished a little bit closer, but there was a horse that was a little bit in trouble and I had to go around her."
Communique, shipped from Kentucky for the Oaks, finished fourth, following by Japanese Oaks champion Robe Decollete, French hope Just Little, Supposition from the stable of renowned Irish trainer Dermott Weld, eastern filly Baroness Thatcher and the Pletcher-trained Audacious Chloe.
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