Concrete Rose (Twirling Candy), an authoritative heroine of the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 6, looks to add the second leg of NYRA's inaugural Turf Tiara to her resume in the $750,000 Saratoga Oaks Invitational at the Spa Friday.
The talented dark bay has won five of six career starts, including this term's GIII Florida Oaks at Tampa Mar. 9 and GIII Edgewood S. at Churchill Downs May 3. Her lone defeat-an eighth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf–came over the very well-documented saturated going at Churchill Downs last fall. She breezed four furlongs around the dogs over the Oklahoma turf in :49 (4/53) July 27 (XBTV Video).
“Right now, she is [the best 3-year-old turf filly in the country], but we're halfway through the year and hope we continue on,” trainer Rusty Arnold said. “I think the mile and three sixteenths [distance] is well within her ability.”
Happen (War Front), a narrow victress of the seven-furlong G3 Coolmore EBF Athasi S. over soft going at The Curragh May 6, makes the trip across the pond for Aidan O'Brien. She receives first-time Lasix following a sixth-place finish in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot June 21.
Olendon (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), runner-up at 17-1 in the G1 Saxon Warrior Prix Saint Alary at Longchamp May 26, was a disappointing eighth in the Belmont Oaks. She receives first-time blinkers and Lasix in this first start for trainer Chad Brown.
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