Saratoga: Immersive, Scottish Lassie lead CCA Oaks

Immersive is set for her second start off the layoff in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks, a 1 1/8-mile invitational for sophomore fillies at Saratoga.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox for owner-breeder Godolphin, the Nyquist bay was last year’s champion 2-year-old filly following a trio of Grade 1 victories, including the seven-furlong Spinaway here, as well as the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades at Keeneland and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar – all under returning rider Manny Franco.

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After her 4-for-4 campaign, Immersive was given some time off due to bone bruising, according to a January news release from Godolphin. Nevertheless, Cox and Godolphin went on to win the Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Good Cheer as Immersive readied for her return in the 1 1/16-mile Monomoy Girl on June 14 at Churchill Downs.

There, Immersive stalked and briefly took over to the inside of the pacesetting Anna’s Promise at the top of the lane while returning rival Take Charge Milady simultaneously moved to the outside. Immersive and Take Charge Milady locked horns for a fierce stretch duel, with the latter prevailing by a neck in a final time of 1:43.17.

“She’s doing very well,” said Cox, who has won this race with Monomoy Girl (2018) and Wet Paint (2023). “She needed her last run in the Monomoy Girl. She ran a great race and galloped out well. I feel like she’s every bit as good this year as she was last year. I really think she’ll move forward off that run.”

Godolphin has won this event with Jilbab (2002), Music Note (2008), It’s Tricky (2011), Questing (2012) and Wet Paint (2023).

Immersive, who starts from the rail with Manny Franco in the saddle, is out of the winning Bernardini mare Gap Year. She has earned in excess of $1.6 million via a 5: 4-1-0 record. Her second dam, the Grade 1-winning Awesome Again mare Dubai Escapade, is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Madcap Escapade. 

Conditioner Jorge Abreu adds another Grade 1 winner to the mix with Scottish Lassie, who starts from gate 3 with Joel Rosario. She was the dominant victor of the one-turn mile Frizette (G1) as a second-out maiden in October at Belmont at the Big A. 

The McKinzie dark bay seeks her first win since the Frizette, capping her juvenile campaign with a fourth to Immersive in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies ahead of a pair of thirds so far this year, behind Cassiar and returning foe Dry Powder in a one-turn mile optional claimer in May at Belmont at the Big A and last out to La Cara in the Acorn.

“She came out of her last race in great shape, I’ve liked what I’ve seen,” said Abreu. “We just need luck. She was in good position last time, but maybe got a little tired. The allowance race before at Aqueduct, draw a line through that. I’m not going to make too many excuses, because I like her going into this race a lot.”

Scottish Lassie was an $85,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS March Sale of 2-year-olds in training out of the winning Bodemeister mare Bodebabe, a half-sister to stakes-winner Windmill and stakes-placed Ignitis. She is campaigned by Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photos Finish, Corms Racing Stable and Abreu.

Trainer Kenny McPeek looks for a title defense with Take Charge Milady, who drew post 4 with jockey Kendrick Carmouche. McPeek captured this event last year with subsequent horse of the year and divisional champion Thorpedo Anna. 

Take Charge Milady strutted her best stuff last out when upsetting Immersive in the Monomoy Girl. The Take Charge Indy dark bay was previously off-the-board in the Kentucky Oaks after starting poorly, following a closing 1 1/4-length second to La Cara in the Ashland. 

Take Charge Milady’s 8: 3-2-0 record includes a 5 3/4-length triumph in the 1 1/16-mile Listed Martha Washington in January at Oaklawn Park. She was a $60,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September yearling sale out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Price too High, and she is campaigned by James Ball, Sherri McPeek’s Magdalena Racing and Kenneth Rhodes. 

Rounding out the field is Gold Square’s Dry Powder (post 5, Jose Lezcano), the last-out Wilton runner-up for trainer Chad Summers. The Gun Runner dark bay, a $525,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, graduated on debut ahead of two prominent seconds at Belmont at the Big A. Sweet Seraphine, trained by Cherie DeVaux, is expected to scratch due to an infection, according to a Friday report from David Grening of Daily Racing Form. La Cara is also expected to scratch because her barn has been placed under quarantine, according to a news release from NYRA.

The CCA Oaks is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 12-race card, which also includes the Alfred G. Vanderbilt (G2) and the Caress (G3). First post is 12:35 p.m. EDT.