Fionn cruises late to win the Jockey Club Oaks, NYRA Photo
Mary Eddy
Ozone Park, N.Y. — George Messina and Michael Lee’s Fionn came running late with a wide run under Flavien Prat to notch her fourth graded victory on the year in Saturday’s Grade 3, $350,000 Jockey Club Oaks, a 1 3/8-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies, at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the daughter of Twirling Candy raced with blinkers off and rebounded from a last-out fourth in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 11 at Keeneland. She adds to a strong campaign that is highlighted by a nose win over subsequent Grade 1-winner Nitrogen in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational in July at Saratoga Race Course.
“We’ve enjoyed this ride every step of the way,” said Messina. “We’ve been all over the country, it’s been unbelievable. We’ve had a lot of fun with it.”
Prat carved out the winning ride atop the post-time second choice from well off the pace set by Don’t Jinx It, who was quick to overtake command from the sharp-starting Scythian early while keeping a cushion between her and a keen Hereforagoodtime through an opening quarter-mile in 24.76 seconds over the firm footing.
The field raced in orderly fashion through the half-mile in 49.87 with Don’t Jinx It ticking along just ahead of Hereforagoodtime with a gap back to a quartet of rivals that included post-time favorite Laurelin, who cruised along in sixth-of-8 under a patient Kendrick Carmouche in the two-path. Fionn was next-to-last through three-quarters in 1:16.45, and tracked behind Laurelin down the backstretch before that rival got going approaching the final of three turns.
“It felt like the pace was decent the first part,” Prat said. “Then when we hit the second turn, it felt like it slowed down quite a bit, even on the backside. Then I was trying to get her going early, mid-turn, to kind of use her stamina, and she ran well.”
The mile elapsed in 1:41.40 and Don’t Jinx It came under pressure from Hereforagoodtime with Evershed attempting a rally from fourth, but the main threat came from the wide-running favorites as Carmouche tipped out Laurelin and Prat went even wider with Fionn to set their sights on the pacesetter at the head of the lane.
The New York-bred Scythian was in with a shout approaching the eighth pole with Don’t Jinx It battling on bravely, but the outside runners finished strongly with Laurelin sticking her head in front at the sixteenth pole. Her lead would be short-lived as Fionn demonstrated an impressive turn-of-foot to prove superior in the final jumps and edge clear to the half-length score in a final time of 2:17.22.
Prat said Fionn’s stamina helped her reel in Laurelin after the Graham Motion trainee got the jump on her in the lane.
“His filly has a good turn of foot, so he kind of ran away from me a little bit, but then as we went on, the stamina kicked in,” Prat said.
Don’t Jinx It held on for show honors another three lengths back by a neck over Scythian with Unmerited Favor, National Archive, Hereforagoodtime and Evershed completing the order of finish.
Motion said he was proud of the effort from Laurelin, who has never finished worse than second in seven starts, and suffered her first career loss in her start prior when second to Lush Lips in the aforementioned Queen Elizabeth II.
“Kendrick knew that filly was following him and she just got the better of her,” Motion said. “I thought he rode her super – no excuse. It’s time for a little vacation. Kendrick said she never quit – those are two nice fillies, take turns beating each other.”
Carmouche, who has been aboard Laurelin in all but one of her starts, echoed Motion’s sentiments.
“She did exactly what I wanted. She fought to the wire, which is the most I can ask for,” Carmouche said. “I think she’ll enjoy the mile and three-eighths a whole lot in her future. We go from there. The other horse was running, my horse was running, just second best today.”
Bred in Kentucky by Dixiana Farms, Fionn was a $75,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Gaelic Gold, a half-sister to multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Sea Foam and stakes-placed Straw Into Gold.
Additionally, Messina and Lee co-own $1.4 million earner Stellify – a $140,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale – in partnership with Elements Racing. Stellify is also trained by Cox, who is assisted by Messina’s son, Trace.
“The way she moved [at the sale] was the biggest thing,” said winning co-owner Michael Lee of Fionn. “George and I, and his son, pick out most of the horses. The last few we’ve had have done well. A lot of it is judged on the movement of the horse, quality and athleticism and that’s what we liked about her. She’s exceeded all of our expectations, by far.”
Lee also noted that Fionn could target the 10-furlong Grade 1, $300,000 American Oaks on December 26 at Santa Anita Park next.
“Brad will give us the plan,” Lee said. “We may have another one in us out in California. We might take a shot at the American Oaks.”
Fionn banked $192,500 in victory and improved her lifetime record to 10-7-1-1 while returning $4.82 on a $2 win wager.
Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a nine-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 Pebbles in Race 3, and the $150,000 Forever Together in Race 7. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.
America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
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