Laurelin stays perfect and makes the grade in the Saratoga Oaks (Chelsea Durand)
Keith McCalmont/NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Newstead Stables’ Laurelin kept her perfect record intact with a rallying 1 3/4-length score in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational, a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf route for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Graham Motion, the Zarak chestnut is undefeated in five starts, beginning with a trio of wins over the Aqueduct Racetrack turf topped by scores in the Tepin in November and the Listed Memories of Silver to kick off her current campaign in April. Laurelin entered from a 1 1/4-length score in the one-mile Penn Oaks over yielding turf in June.
“It’s very hard to go 5-for-5 and I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse do that before,” said Motion. “A lot of things have to go right, and they have to be very good. I feel like we’ve done right by her and tried to go step-by-step and this was a logical time to go into a graded race.
“It’s always a surprise when a horse does what she’s done, but we’ve always thought she was that quality,” Motion added. “She always acted like she was one of my best 2-year-olds last year.”
Totally Justified was sent to the front by Manny Franco to overtake the sharp-starting Opulent Restraint, who exited the inside post under Flavien Prat and was angled off the rail approaching the turn as the opening quarter-mile went by in 23.48 seconds over the firm turf.
Opulent Restraint continued to track the pacesetter down the backstretch with Laurelin stalking to the outside of Evershed in front of the European raider Go Go Boots as the half-mile elapsed in 47.60.
“Before we got to the first turn, I already got my filly where I need to be sitting fourth, couple other horses behind me,” Carmouche said. “I thought the three horses that could have beat me were the two in front of me [Totally Justified and Opulent Restraint] and the one inside of me [Evershed].”
Laurelin advanced with purpose through the final turn, moving easily to the outside of Opulent Restraint as Jose Ortiz asked Go Go Boots to follow her run. Laurelin cruised beyond Opulent Restraint and Totally Justified once straightened away and powered home to a smart victory in a final time of 1:52.60.
“I kept this filly in the clear because I didn’t want nobody to come outside of me, she did everything on her own,” Carmouche said. “When I was ready to ask her at the top of the lane, she exploded herself. This horse is a Grade 1 horse, you can feel the confidence and the relaxedness in this horse – to become a good horse – that’s what we look for in this industry and I think I really got one with this one.”
The Dylan Davis-piloted Evershed rallied late to complete the exacta by three-quarter-lengths over Opulent Restraint with Go Go Boots, Totally Justified and Sigh No More completing the order of finish. Go Go Boots was pulled up in the gallop out and provided a ride back to the barn area in the equine ambulance for further evaluation per NYRA’s Veterinary Department.
Davis said the Arnaud Delacour-trained Evershed performed admirably in her stakes debut, entering from a rallying allowance score versus elders last month at Colonial Downs.
“She didn’t really kick, but she was able to keep with the winner, and she ended up galloping out really well, too, so I think she’s still learning,” Davis said. “She’s going in the right direction for sure. She ran great. I asked Arnaud if I could stay on her. She’s got a lot of potential.”
Motion praised the smart trip engineered by Carmouche.
“She seemed like she was always traveling very comfortably, and I felt confident throughout the race,” Motion said. “I think Kendrick did, too, he just said it was a matter of when he asked her to go. I loved where she was and obviously it’s easier in a smaller field, but Kendrick has a great rapport with this filly, and she puts him in a nice spot.
“I must say, the only trouble is neither the owner nor myself have ever been there when she’s ran, so I think we’re both going to have to stay away from now on,” added Motion, with a laugh.
Motion indicated Laurelin could step up to top-flight company next in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on October 11 at Keeneland.
“I’d love to go to the QEII, that’s the Grade 1 that everybody likes to win with 3-year-old fillies. How we get there, I don’t know, but that’s a race I would like to put a circle around,” Motion said.
Bred in Ireland by M. H. Dixon and Mount Coote Estates, Laurelin banked $275,000 in victory and ran her win streak to five. She returned $6.40 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 Mahony in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
