Oaks Blogs

So to all 11 of you reading this – including those seven loyal members of the family – here will be my stabs for tomorrow’s Oaks. We’ll put it on the record and there either will be no complaints – or, perhaps, many.

In any event, given the soggy nature of the beast down here at the moment – and with much more of the wet stuff to come in the forecast – mud form or breeding all of a sudden becomes important. You’ll note that price horses Autobahn Girl and Swift Temper both have winning races in the mud. So does the 6-1 shot High Heels, who won her ‘off’ track race at Churchill. Hmmmmm. Now all of that must mean something, maybe.

You’ll note too that Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy, therefore Seattle Slew) has mud breeding. So, too, does Octave (Unbridled’s Song, therefore Unbridled) and Dreaming of Anna (Rahy, therefore Blushing Groom).

And don’t forget Dawn After Dawn (See Take 12 of this blog). She’s by Successful Appeal (therefore Valid Appeal, who is by In Reality – one of the great mud sires of our time). And she’s shown some good turf ability, which often translates well to “off’ track form.

So I’ve got to take some Oaks-Derby double swings and I think I’m going to do it with Rags to Riches, Octave and Dawn After Dawn.

Now I’ve just got to cut the Derby end of the bet down from about a dozen. But I’m working on it.

Good luck to you.