Tonalist's Shape Dons Blinkers for Coaching Club

Tonalist's Shape is 6-for-7 and a winner of four stakes, two graded, and still, her racing potential may not have been fully realized.

That might happen July 18 when she adds blinkers in the $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The 3-year-old filly has recorded much faster workouts with the equipment, leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. to believe her best is to come.

Saturday would be the right time to put it all together. The Coaching Club will be the most prestigious race in which Tonalist's Shape has competed, but her competition is inexperienced and relatively unaccomplished. Of her five rivals—Antoinette, Altaf, Velvet Crush, Crystal Ball, and Paris Lights—only Antoinette is a stakes winner. The others have simply won maiden and first-level allowance races.

It was partially for that reason that Joseph scratched her from the July 11 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland to await Saturday's race. She prepped for the Coaching Club American Oaks by breezing three furlongs in a bullet :34.26 at Saratoga July 14, doing so in blinkers, as she did in some other lively works this summer.

"Everyone seems to think she is much better in the blinkers. That's what I think, too," Joseph said of conversations with observers and clockers. "In the back of your head, it's always, have the blinkers made her too keen? Like going as fast as you can for as far as you can? She hasn't given me that impression—she's relaxed—but that is a question mark as a trainer you always have when you are making a change. Any change is a bit different, and you never know until they do it. But the blinkers seem to have made all positive (changes). I wish I could tell you for sure. I'll tell you for sure on Saturday."

At 1 1/8 miles, Saturday's race will be the longest of Tonalist's Shape's career. Prior to capturing the 1 1/16-mile Hollywood Wildcat Stakes at Gulfstream Park last out May 15, she had not won a two-turn race—though she is bred to run long. Her sire, Tonalist, won the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes (G1) in 2014.

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride the filly, who is owned by the partnership of Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham, and Legacy Ranch.

Stepping up from the maiden ranks is Crystal Ball, a Malibu Moon  filly who scored a frontrunning victory by 6 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita Park June 14 in her second start for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert and owners WinStar Stablemates Racing. That afternoon she raced 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.86.

"I think just having an out was key for her, and going two turns, I think that's her game," Baffert said. "Hopefully, she breaks well and is placed forwardly."

Javier Castellano will ride her Saturday.

Baffert said he conferred with Elliott Walden, the racing manager and president/CEO of WinStar Farm, and they felt the Coaching Club American Oaks presented an opportunity for Crystal Ball with limited options on the West Coast and with Baffert saving his star 3-year-old filly Gamine in favor of a later start this summer.

"I think she'll run well. She wants to go long," he said. "And so I think she'll get a lot out of it and maybe set her up for the Alabama (G1)."

The Alabama Stakes is a $500,000 race at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga Aug. 15.

Antoinette, the winner of the off-the-turf Tepin Stakes in December at Aqueduct Racetrack, has run third in her past three races, two of which were graded. Altaf, Velvet Crush, and Paris Lights exit victories at Churchill Downs during the spring meet that wrapped up last month.

Three-year-old colts Art Collector, Shared Sense, and Dean Martini recently won graded stakes races following allowance-level starts—suggesting the quality of racing at Churchill was high class. If that success extends to the 3-year-old filly division, Altaf, Velvet Crush and Paris Lights could prove threats.

The Coaching Club American Oaks, which offers Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points on a 100-40-20-10 basis to the top four finishers, is race 10 on Saturday's 11-race card. Racing from Saratoga this summer will be televised by Fox Sports and MSG Networks.

Entries: Coaching Club American Oaks (G1)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 18, 2020, Race 10

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $350,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 6:16 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Tonalist's Shape (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	121	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	9/5
2	2Antoinette (KY)	John R. Velazquez	121	William I. Mott	6/1
3	3Altaf (KY)	Joel Rosario	121	Chad C. Brown	5/1
4	4Velvet Crush (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Rodolphe Brisset	12/1
5	5Crystal Ball (KY)	Javier Castellano	121	Bob Baffert	4/1
6	6Paris Lights (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	William I. Mott	2/1