FRANKLIN, Ky. – Brad Cox probably trains the horse to beat in the Dueling Grounds Oaks. But which horse?
Destino d’Oro and Fionn, both from the Cox barn, are tough to separate in the Grade 3, $2 million Dueling Grounds Oaks on Wednesday, closing day, at Kentucky Downs.
Fionn in her most recent outing, the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational at Saratoga, ran down Nitrogen to win, and that is no small feat. Nitrogen came into that race the clear leader of the 3-year-old filly turf division and came out of it to win the Grade 1 Alabama on dirt.
Destino d’Oro started in a lesser contest, the Grade 3 Pucker Up on Aug. 3 at Ellis Park, and not only did she score an easy, eye-catching 3 3/4-length win, Destino d’Oro, a deep closer in her first three starts, revealed a new tactical dimension, tracking the leader from second.
Destino d’Oro, the mount of Luann Machado, won her debut over the Kentucky Downs course a year ago, while Fionn, Flavien Prat to ride, makes her local debut. Both fillies, judging from breeze video, have been working at least solidly, Fionn at Saratoga, Destino d’Oro at Churchill Downs.
A dozen were entered in a 1 5/16-mile contest, and Cox does not necessarily have a stranglehold on the Dueling Grounds Oaks. Daisy Flyer exits a win in the Grade 3 Lake George. A neck and a nose behind her in third was Reining Flowers, also slated to start Wednesday.
Hereforagoodtime stumbled at the start of the Pucker Up and turned in a faster final furlong than Destino d’Oro to finish second. Candy Quest ran the best race of her career capturing the Ontario Colleen on July 26. Running Away, first in the Monmouth Oaks on dirt, should set the pace, with Totally Justified, Daisy Flyer’s Rusty Arnold-trained stablemate, not far behind.
Fionn, listed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite, finished second making her debut last year at Horseshoe Indianapolis and since has won five of six, capped by her Belmont Oaks score, in which she caught heavily favored Nitrogen in the last couple jumps.
“Nitrogen wasn’t stopping,” Cox said. Asked if Fionn, freshened since July 5, remained an improving filly, Cox, who said Fionn can be a handful, demurred. “I mean, she just won a Grade 1.”
Destino d’Oro has raced just four times and made a sharp move off the far turn to easily win her career debut last summer at Kentucky Downs.
“She’s got the run over the track, which means a little something,” Cox said.
Despite a terrible trip, Destino d’Oro looked a half-furlong out like she’d win the Jessamine Stakes last fall at Keeneland before falling two noses short. That’s her only defeat and after coming from last or second to last to win her first three starts, including her 2025 debut in a June allowance at Churchill, Destino d’Oro relaxed a few lengths off a decent pace in the Pucker Up. The tactical change did not affect her finish. Destino d’Oro got her fourth quarter-mile of the 1 1/8-mile Pucker Up in 22.74 before finishing up in 11.51.
“I think, especially on that track, you just let her break and try to get into a rhythm,” Cox said, when asked what running style he expected from Destino d’Oro.
Arnold trains not two but three of the fillies, Fixin to Bee, 30-1 on the line, joining Daisy Flyer and Totally Justified. One might wonder if Fixin to Bee were entered to provide pace help for her more accomplished and so far faster Calumet Farm-owned stablemate, Daisy Flyer – except Fixin to Bee has no speed. Neither does Daisy Flyer, but she did show a potent kick annexing the July 26 Lake George (as well as a maiden race here last season) while making her first start since March 1. The Lake George did end in a blanket three-horse finish, and Daisy Flyer races a quarter-mile farther than she’s ever run.
Candy Quest got a big figure, an 88 Beyer, in the Ontario Colleen, but that was a one-turn mile and Candy Quest drew poorly in post 12 as she tried to go 5/16 of a mile farther Wednesday.
Hereforagoodtime turned in a career best checking in third behind Fionn and Totally Justified in the Regret on May 31, and returned from a break in the Pucker Up, in which she stumbled at the start and got her last furlong faster than Destino d’Oro to finish second.
“She’s always been a filly who would get better with time,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “She’s finally starting to look the part physically.”
Through early Sunday’s card, Cox had trained five winners at this meet, easily his best Kentucky Downs showing. Saturday, he won the Ladies Marathon with Stellify, and with this one-two Dueling Grounds Oaks punch he looks the part of a winner in another seven-figure stakes on closing day.
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