Tejana, Unbridled Mo Streaking into Monmouth Oaks

While the big guns in the sophomore filly division are in action in the GI Alabama S. or waiting on the sidelines Saturday, the Jersey Shore will play host to an intriguing matchup of upwardly mobile runners seeking their first graded success in the GIII Monmouth Oaks. Leading the way are Tejana (Curlin) and Unbridled Mo (Uncle Mo), a pair of fillies carrying two-race win streaks into the 1 1/16-mile feature.

Emory A. Hamilton's undefeated Tejana won her debut in wire-to-wire fashion by 4 1/2 lengths at Pimlico in May and shipped to New York to comfortably annex a one-mile allowance test at Belmont by a similar margin July 13. The Shug McGaughey trainee, whose second dam is GSW La Reina (A.P. Indy), has worked on a weekly interval over the all-weather track at Fair Hill and finalized her preparations for this initial try around two turns with a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00 1/5 Aug. 13. Tejana may possess a significant pace advantage Saturday, having led wire-to-wire in both of her starts.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the Monmouth Oaks three times previously, and will send out two Uncle Mo fillies–including Unbridled Mo–in this year's renewal. The bay won a pair of races traveling an extended mile at the Oceanport oval earlier in the meet and enters the graded stakes ranks off a seven-week freshening. She will be joined by King of Prussia Stable's Mo d'Amour (Uncle Mo), who drops down from Grade I company in her last three tries on dirt. Fifth in the Kentucky Oaks May 6, she recently reported home fourth in both the July 2 Mother Goose S. and the July 24 Alabama S.

The Uncle Mo presence is not limited to the Pletcher barn, as locally-based trainer Joe Orseno will saddle D J Stable's Mo' Green (Uncle Mo), who recently romped home 5 3/4 lengths the best in a trip-and-track optional claimer July 29. The same connections will also be represented by Hi Holiday (Harlan's Holiday), winner of the listed Sorority S. over this track last summer.

A Place to Shine (Tale of Ekati), longshot runner-up in the July 9 GIII Delaware Oaks after being claimed for $12,500 in March by owner Jeremiah Kane and trainer Kathy Mongeon, and Downdraft (Warrior's Reward), sixth in that same race, complete the field.