CNL: Competitive Group Set for Old Dominion Oaks * The Racing Biz

The $ 250,000 Old Dominion Oaks in Colonial Downs on Saturday has drawn a deep and well -coordinated field of 10 three -year -old mares set to dispute 1 1/8 miles on the grass. The line-up contains proven proven deployment artists, slightly raced on any comers, and a few that may be with breakthrough efforts.

The Oaks is at the top of the Undercard for the $ 500,000, degree 3 Old Dominion Derby.

At the head of the Oaks field is Evershed (post 7), installed as the favorite of 2-1 morning line after completing a sharp second in the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2) in her first attempt against a graded company. Trained by Arnaud Delacour for Mark Grier, the Irish-bred daughter of Churchill has won two of the four starts and showed that she hears at this level with her strong late rally previous time-out. She will look a better one here.

Will (post 10) brings a lot of class to the table for Jonathan Thomas and Augustin Stable. A winner of class 3, she danced tough dancing in California and most recently finished a narrow fifth in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) after a troubled journey. With three victories from seven starts and income of more than $ 200,000, she looms on a large candidate who returns to the east.

Her stablemates add intrigues to the photo. Like Catch Can (post 2) on the door is in the stakes, including a second place behind Somethinabroher in the Mazarine (G3) as a juvenile, while Licht came together (post 8) her girl just broke into her third start and takes a large class jump.

Somethinabouther (post 1), trained by Brendan Walsh, has already danced several graded dances and comes from a second place in the Ontario Colleen (G3) in Woodbine. Winner of last year’s Mazarine (G3), she is consistent and play, and her versatility gives her many options out of the rail. Walsh also sends Sigh No More (post 3), a group 3 winner in Ireland who won the cooking sources in Monmouth earlier this summer and the figures are a final danger if they can work out a trip.

Pretty Lavish (post 4) For Graham Motion still has to achieve her first bet score, but showed promising when second place in both the hilltop at Pimlico and the boiling sources, while disaster (post 5) drops a sharp colonial grassy fee, her first attempt in the grass. Still Thinkingophyou (post 9) has shown flashes in Monmouth, including a narrow compensation, while Sheila’s Lion (post 6) and are together, both challenges of girl victories on the same course.

The Oaks is the ninth race on a 10-race program.