OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Lady Mary appears to have found a soft landing spot in which to make her North American debut when she faces 10 rivals in Saturday’s Grade 3, $350,000 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational at Aqueduct.
A glut of turf stakes, many with more money and prestige than this one, has left the Jockey Club Oaks a bulky field of 11 but only one stakes winner, and that runner, Caldwell Luvs Gold, won those stakes on dirt against New York-breds.
Lady Mary has just one win from eight starts, but that record belies the talent she has shown in her career. Three starts back, she lost a head bob on the wire to Erle in the Group 3 Diana Trial at Hoppegarten. Last out, Lady Mary finished third again to Erle in the Group 1 German Oaks.
Her previous connections were considering shipping Lady Mary to the United States for the Dueling Grounds Oaks run Wednesday at Kentucky Downs, but bloodstock agent Alex Elliott helped broker a deal in which owners Matt Mazzucchi, Kent Bogart and David Grund purchased Lady Mary and turned her over to trainer Jack Sisterson. With no guarantee Lady Mary would have gotten into the oversubscribed Dueling Grounds Oaks, the Jockey Club Oaks became the target.
Though he’s had Lady Mary less than two weeks, Sisterson likes what he’s seen so far.
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“She’s settled in great, she possesses a bit of speed, she’s forward in her gallops,” Sisterson said. “It’ll be interesting to see how she handles 11 furlongs over a flat track going three turns. I think it will only be to her benefit. She’s been going up and down and around in Germany.”
Sisterson said he was encouraged by the fact the previous connections of Lady Mary were considering bringing her over to United States because they were in search of firmer ground. The Aqueduct turf course will certainly be firm Saturday.
Manny Franco rides Lady Mary.
The Jockey Club Oaks is the third race in a series of graded marathon stakes for 3-year-old fillies on this circuit. Cinderella’s Dream won the Belmont Oaks here in July and the Saratoga Oaks in August. That filly is taking on her elders in Saturday’s Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine.
The connections of Cinderella’s Dream, Godolphin Racing and trainer Charlie Appleby, will send out Beautiful Love in the Jockey Club Oaks. In her lone start in the United States, Beautiful Love was a non-threatening sixth in the Grade 2 Lake Placid, her first start in six months and one that came with a wide trip. She did finish second to Cinderella’s Dream in a stakes at Meydan in February.
Dylan Davis rides Beautiful Love from post 4.
Macanga and Mixologist were both expected to scratch from Friday’s Winter Memories Stakes at a mile to try the 1 3/8 miles of the Oaks. A rank Macanga set the pace and faded to fifth in the Saratoga Oaks last out. Mixologist was placed first in a first-level allowance after the winner, Vino Rouge, was disqualified for interfering with a different horse.
Mont Saint Michel comes out of a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Pucker Up and may appreciate stretching out in distance in this spot.
Egyptian Candy, Miss Roberts, Justdeny, Lady Madonna, and Americandreammaker complete the field.
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