Head to Head: Thrilling matchup in Saratoga's CCA Oaks

Laurie

Ashley

1. Immersive

After an injury and extended layoff, Last year’s 2-year-old champ Immersive surfaced in the Monomoy Girl. She was stuck on the inside and was boxed in tight with Anna’s Promise in front and Take Charge Milady directly next to her. Full of run before the turn, Immersive had to steady slightly and back off with nowhere to go. She bulled her way through a narrow opening on the turn, bumping with Anna’s Promise, and fought through the lane with Take Charge Milady. Immersive suffered her first career defeat, bested by Take Charge Milady, who had the benefit of current form and a much better trip. Conditioned by Brad Cox, Immersive earned an 85 Brisnet Speed Rating. She worked a pre-race bullet five furlongs in 59.20 seconds and should be ready to resume her winning ways. Contender.

Trained by Brad Cox, champion Immersive was an excellent second in her return off a 7 1/2-month layoff. She missed by a neck to Take Charge Milady in the Monomoy Girl after getting bottled up on the inside. She battled Take Charge Milady all the way down the stretch, but that rival was determined to cross the wire first. Immersive received just an 85 Brisnet Speed Rating. Cox has 27% wins with a 60% in-the-money rate with runners second off the layoff. Immersive is 2-for-2 at Saratoga and gets her regular jockey Manny Franco. One to beat.

2. Sweet Seraphine

Sweet Seraphine takes on more accomplished foes and adds distance. In a thrilling edition of the Wilton Stakes at Aqueduct, facing winners for the first time, Sweet Seraphine stumbled at the break and settled several lengths off a sharp early pace. After going five wide around the turn, Sweet Seraphine was green down the lane on the wrong lead and drifting until she got closer to her rivals and found determination. The Cherie DeVaux trainee got up in the final strides to nail Dry Powder by a head. Sweet Seraphine completed a mile in 1:35.94 with a 13.32 final furlong. Her speed rating dropped four points in her second start off the layoff, yet there’s no denying her courage. Quality Road’s daughter is half to Grade 3-winning miler Moonlight d’Oro, and champion 3-year-old filly and 2017 CCA Oaks heroine Abel Tasman is a distant relative. Sweet Seraphine has tactical speed and would benefit from a pace meltdown. But she’s facing more accomplished foes while adding distance. Pass.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Sweet Seraphine debuted third in August 2024 and then disappeared, resurfacing at Churchill Downs in May of this year. The one-mile event for maidens was written for 3-year-olds and upward, but in reality was composed of all 3-year-olds except one. Sweet Seraphine triumphed by a nose and then doubled down by winning the Wilton Stakes next out by a head over Dry Powder. Sweet Seraphine’s best Brisnet Speed Rating is the 86 she received when breaking her maiden. Jose Ortiz has the return call. Pass.

3. Scottish Lassie

The highlight of Scottish Lassie’s career was earning her only victory in the Frizette Stakes (G1). This year, she tired to third behind Dry Powder in a one-mile optional claimer before taking on graded-stakes fillies in the Acorn (G1). After going six wide around the turn, Scottish Lassie trudged her way down the sloppy track to just miss second place to Grade 2 winner Look Forward. The Jorge Abreu trainee’s speed rating jumped 21 points in her second start off the layoff. She’s been bested by half the CCA Oaks field but can be counted on for a lower exotics placing.

Trained by Jorge Abreu, Scottish Lassie was third on debut but broke her maiden at second asking when scampering to a nine-length demolition job in the Frizette. She finished her juvenile campaign with a fourth-place run, beaten by seven lengths, behind winner Immersive in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Scottish Lassie has raced just twice this year after receiving a six-month vacation. She finished third in an optional claimer in her 2025 bow and most recently was third in the Acorn, 3 1/4 lengths behind winner La Cara. She earned a career best 97 Brisnet Speed Rating in the Acorn. Abreu has 19% wins with a 25% in-the-money rate with runners third off the layoff. Joel Rosario has the mount. Exotics.

4. Take Charge Milady

Take Charge Milady renews her budding rivalry with Immersive. She has made seven starts this year and finished out of the money twice, with the legitimate excuse of troubled trips. Otherwise, she has been the model of consistency having won or placed in five starts. Ken McPeek’s charge worked a pre-race bullet four furlongs in 47 over Saratoga’s training track and has tactical speed. Contender.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Take Charge Milady enters off a neck victory in the Monomoy Girl over returning champion Immersive. The daughter of Take Charge Indy has blown hot and cold all season. She won a maiden race and the Martha Washington Stakes by a combined 9 3/4 lengths in her first two starts of 2025. She then bombed in the Honeybee (G3), finishing 10th, 32 1/2 lengths behind the winner. Then she second, 1 1/4 lengths behind winner La Cara, in the Ashland (G1) before throwing another clunker, finishing 12th in the Kentucky Oaks. The Monomoy Girl was her most recent race. Depending on which version of Take Charge Milady shows up, she could be a legitimate win threat or a complete toss. She’s the only filly who has beaten Immersive, but she had racing fitness on her side that day. Kendrick Carmouche has the call. Exotics.

5. Dry Powder

The speedy Dry Powder fought through quick early fractions in the Wilton Stakes but couldn’t hold off Sweet Seraphine. The effort took a toll, and Dry Powder earned a 76 late-pace figure, the lowest in the CCA Oaks field. Chad Summers gave Gun Runner’s daughter a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00, but she’ll have to face the speedy and classy La Cara to her outside. Pass.

Trained by Chad Summers, Dry Powder enters off a head loss to Sweet Seraphine in the Wilton Stakes. Two starts back she was second to Scottish Lassie’s third in an optional claimer. Dry Powder’s speed figures need a boost if she’s to compete with the best in this field. Jose Lezcano has the mount. Pass.

6. La Cara

Other than a ninth-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks after bumping and having to steady, La Cara hasn’t placed worse than second, besting Take Charge Milady and Scottish Lassie along the way. The Grade 1 heroine can carry her speed 1 1/8 miles and is proven at Saratoga. Mark Casse gave her a second-to-last bullet four-furlong work in 46 flat. Contender.

Trained by Mark Casse, La Cara enters off a three-length triumph in the Acorn. We didn’t see her best effort in the Kentucky Oaks, but she did win the Ashland (G1) by 1 1/4 lengths over Take Charge Milady. She also ran away with the Suncoast Stakes and was second to the very good sprinter The Queens M G in the Davona Dale (G2). Along with Immersive, La Cara is the only one in the field who has raced at Saratoga. Her record at The Spa is 3: 2-0-0. Dylan Davis doesn’t always get the best mounts, but he’s been making hay with this filly. Contender.