Kentucky-bred Scottish Lassie captured the second Grade 1 victory of her career, winning the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday, July 19. Trained by Jorge Abreu, Scottish Lassie set all the pace in the CCA Oaks under Joel Rosario. The daughter of McKninzie simply ran away from her rivals on the far turn and won as she pleased.
“Oh my God, this is unbelievable, winning a Grade 1 at Saratoga,” said Abreu. “Winning a claiming race at Saratoga is big, imagine a Grade 1.”
The stretch run was merely a formality. Immersive was all out behind the runaway Scottish Lassie. All it took for the winner was just one shake of the reins from Rosario at the eighth pole to keep to task and win in 1:50.23.
Rosario said of the facile score, “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.”
Scottish Lassie now a 2-time G1 winner
Owned by Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photos Finish, Corms Racing Stable and Abreu, Scottish Lassie won her first Grade 1 last year at two. She won the Frizette Stakes (G1) last October.
The win in the CCA Oaks, however, was meaningful for Steve Weston of Parkland Thoroughbreds.
“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.”
Bred in Kentucky by Winchester Farm, Scottish Lassie is out of the winning Bodemeister mare Bodebabe, a half-sister to stakes-winner Windmill. She banked $275,000 in victory while improving her record to 6-2-0-3.