Coaching Club American Oaks: Odds & analysis

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks drew a field of five select 3-year-old fillies, featuring the two-time Grade 1 winner and earner of $1.7 million Thorpedo Anna.

The five fillies, who will race 1 1/8 miles on the main track at Saratoga on Saturday, include four Grade 1 winners and three who won their most recent race.

Several recent CCA Oaks winners form a star-studded list of horses who went on to win the Eclipse award as champion 3-year-old filly or won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. The group includes Songbird, Abel Tasman, Monomoy Girl, Questing, Stopchargingmaria and Nest.

Here is a full-field analysis for the CCA Oaks with morning-line odds from the Horse Racing Nation staff. The CCA Oaks is carded as race 11 of 12 with post time scheduled for 6:17 p.m. EDT.

1. Candied, 7-2. Candy Ride – Todd Pletcher / Manny Franco – 5: 3-0-1 – $684,675. Candied is one of the Grade 1 winners in the CCA Oaks field, having taken the Alcibiades (G1) as a 2-year-old before running a close third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Her 2024 campaign started with a fifth in the Ashland (G1) and then moved to Monmouth Park, where she won the Lady’s Secret by more than four lengths as the odds-on favorite. Use underneath.

2. Barbratina, 20-1. Catholic Boy – George Weaver / Junior Alvarado – 6: 2-3-0 – $166,615. Barbratina broke her maiden in her first start which was at Ellis Park last summer. Since then she was second twice at Turfway Park in an allowance and a stakes race. In April she moved to Aqueduct for the Gazelle (G3) and ran sixth. Barbratina got the second win of her career in June in a first-level allowance by a head going nine furlongs at Churchill Downs. She is the only horse in the field without a graded-stakes victory. Toss.

3. Thorpedo Anna, 1-2. Fast Anna – Kenny McPeek / B.J. Hernandez Jr. – 6: 5-1-0 – $1,705,633. Thorpedo Anna comes to the CCA Oaks as the undisputed leader of the 3-year-old fillies division based on her three impressive victories this year. She began the year winning the Fantasy (G2) at Oaklawn as a prep to her victory in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). She added the Acorn (G1) in June and won those races by more than four lengths each time. She will be an overwhelming favorite in Saturday’s race. Top choice.

4. Leslie’s Rose, 4-1. Into Mischief – Todd Pletcher / John Velazquez – 6: 3-1-1 – $582,800. Leslie’s Rose won the Ashland (G1) in April at Keeneland, beating Candied. She then was defeated by Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks, finishing 13th, and bounced back to be second in the Acorn. Second-place choice.

5. Intricate, 12-1. Gun Runner – Brendan Walsh / Tyler Gaffalione – 6: 2-2-0 – $405,180. Things have changed since Intricate defeated Thorpedo Anna in the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs in November. Thorpedo Anna went on to win all three of her starts while Intricate did not. Intricate was second in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and fifth in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2). Last month she was second in the Monomoy Girl at Churchill. Use underneath.

Summary: Thorpedo Anna is expected to easily defeat her opponents in the CCA Oaks on her run to having a great year. She is, by far, the fastest horse in the field and the only filly who has early speed. Even as a heavy favorite, Thorpedo Anna will be the top choice in a spot where racing fans should just enjoy the chance to watch a great Thoroughbred run.