DREAM CATCHER’s St Leger run, third down the backstretch behind SALUTE THE DON and WE JAMMIN, before being relegated to fourth by SENOR BISCOTTI five furlongs out, a position she held to the last half-furlong before LONDON SPIRIT closed late from off the pace, showed exactly why she has outclassed fillies and will do the same in Saturday’s Jamaica Oaks.
Having only lost once to a filly, stablemate TAYLOR MADE in a six-furlong sprint on her second start, DREAM CATCHER’s dismissal of her peers when stretched out in the Thornbird, Portmore and 1000 Guineas cemented the Bern Identity-Double Jeopardy stayer as Oaks favourite in her sleep.
The battle for second behind DREAM CATCHER is far more interesting than what will be a routine win for the Vinute Taylor-owned filly, who has been champion Jason DaCosta’s top earner so far this season with stakes of $5.5 million, arithmetically the difference between the leading trainer and rival Anthony Nunes, whose ANOTHER WOW and TIA MARIA recently won eye-catching races from off the pace.
Nunes will be aiming to scrape every dollar possible from the Oaks in his bid to keep DaCosta honest on the lead in the trainers’ stakes race ahead of the big distance events at the back end of the season, such as the Jamaica Cup, Gold Cup and US$300,000 Mouttet Mile, in which any number could play, depending on importees shipping into the island after summer.
ANOTHER WOW, who ran terribly in the Kingston and 1000 Guineas after throwing down a challenge to DREAM CATCHER in the Thornbird, rebounded with a strong win at six and a half furlongs on June 27, sweeping past stablemate TIA MARIA, who returned to frank that run with a strong victory going two turns, nine furlongs and 25 yards, on July 11.
Nunes has summoned one of the track’s best finishers, Phillip Parchment, to partner ANOTHER WOW, hoping the journeyman’s bustling style will suit his charge when the trip starts taking toll on the likes of DaCosta’s TAYLOR MADE and another-bred-to-sprint runner, Philip Feanny’s GIVING THANKS.
All told, the Oaks should be another stroll in the park for DREAM CATCHER, whose pedigree destined her for dominance among her peers outside of sprints.
