Scottish Lassie romps to victory in G1 Coaching Club American Oaks

In a career-best performance for trainer Jorge Abreu, post-time second choice Scottish Lassie put forth a sublime effort to capture her second Grade 1 in Saturday’s $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks, a nine-furlong invitational for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

The daughter of McKinzie set the tempo under Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, and left little doubt heading into the expansive Saratoga stretch as she opened her margin under a confident Rosario to claim the victory by 15 1/2 lengths over Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Immersive.

"Oh my God, this is unbelievable, winning a Grade 1 at Saratoga,” said an emotional Abreu, who was a longtime assistant to trainer Chad Brown before going out on his own in 2016. “Winning a claiming race at Saratoga is big, imagine a Grade 1.

“I'm nervous. I'm still nervous. I'm still on cloud nine. I just told Joel to ride his race. I didn't give him any instructions. I just said, ‘ride your race.’ You know that's not me being on the lead, that's him,” Abreu added, with a laugh.

Despite a compact field of four, Immersive and Scottish Lassie made things interesting early as the Manny Franco-piloted Immersive was away sharpest from the inside and made the front, but Rosario coaxed along Scottish Lassie and arrested command from the Brad Cox pupil to mark the opening quarter-mile in 23.81 seconds over the fast footing.

Immersive was angled around Scottish Lassie to track one length back down the backstretch with Take Charge Milady in third and Dry Powder tracking in fourth while Scottish Lassie remained comfortable at the helm through the half-mile in 48.09.

The race was just about wrapped up heading into the turn as Franco got to work on Immersive with the gap between her and the pacesetter only growing wider as Scottish Lassie cantered along with ease. Dry Powder made a move from last, but had her work cut out for her as Scottish Lassie drew further away under a motionless Rosario after three-quarters in 1:12.37.

"Turning for home, I was just walking down the stairs crying,” Abreu said. “I'm not going to lie to you. On the backside, when I saw them making a little run at her, I said there's no way we are going to get beat now, but when she drove away, that was it." 

The stretch run was merely a formality as Immersive was all out behind the runaway Scottish Lassie, who needed just one small shake of the reins from Rosario at the eighth pole to keep to task and complete the course in 1:50.23.

Immersive held place honors by six lengths over Dry Powder with another three lengths back to Take Charge Milady. Sweet Seraphine and La Cara were scratched.

Rosario, aboard for the first time in the afternoon, said Scottish Lassie was well within herself.

“She had her ears up and relaxed. It was just very nice up there just like Jorge said,” Rosario said. “I was worried I was on the lead, but she was doing it easily and nicely and she was breezing good the last couple of times, so I take it from there after that.”

Franco said there was nothing more he could have asked from Immersive, who won the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Del Mar seven lengths ahead of Scottish Lassie in fourth.

“I knew he [Rosario] was going to go, so I wanted to be outside. I wanted to be in the clear," Franco explained. "I tried to get her comfortable and I did. She was comfortable on the backside, but by the half-mile pole I had to go all in with her. The winner opened up on me and I had no more [horse] under me.” 

Owned by Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photos Finish, Corms Racing Stable and Abreu, Scottish Lassie adds to previous Grade 1 success when providing Abreu with his first graded victory in the Frizette in October at Belmont at the Big A, where she graduated in style in her second career start. She improved from a last-out third over sloppy and sealed footing in the Grade 1 DK Horse Acorn on June 6 here under Irad Ortiz, Jr. when 3 1/4 lengths back of La Cara.

Abreu said Scottish Lassie was sitting on go.

"This horse was ready coming into this race. Going into the Acorn, we were just stretching her out, sloppy track, the one hole, Irad gave a beautiful ride, and then I asked Rosario if he was going to be open for this spot. He said, 'yes, I am,'” Abreu said.

The win was meaningful for Steve Weston of Parkland Thoroughbreds, who said the performance more than validated the filly’s Grade 1 graduation last year.

"The important thing is that there are a lot of horses that will win that first Grade 1 as a 2-year-old and never develop as 3-year-olds. Everyone says, 'Well, they are a flash in the pan.' By winning the second Grade 1, she proved that she is for real,” Weston said. “She proved she is one of the best 3-year-old dirt horses in the world, and it was very satisfying. We are all in this business for value of our fillies. This definitely increases her value and shows the world she is something special. We'll see where we go from here." 

Abreu added he will “wait a week and see what happens” before deciding on a stretch-out to 10 furlongs next in the Grade 1, $600,000 Alabama presented by Keeneland Sales on August 16 here.

Bred in Kentucky by Winchester Farm, Scottish Lassie is out of the winning Bodemeister mare Bodebabe, a half-sister to stakes-winner Windmill and stakes-placed Ignitis. She banked $275,000 in victory while improving her record to 6-2-0-3 and returning $6.70 on a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 2 Honorable Miss in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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