Paris Lights Delivers for WinStar Syndicate in CCA Oaks
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Paris Lights (left) out duels Crystal Ball to win the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga Race Course
WinStar Stablemates Racing was launched by WinStar Farm to provide members inside access and a chance to experience horse ownership at the highest level.
Racing at the highest level was not merely a pitch. On July 18, the WinStar Stablemates Racing syndicate got just what was promised when its two fillies in the $339,500 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, Paris Lights and Crystal Ball, gave the syndicate a 1-2 finish in a race decided by a head.
Though the CCA Oaks was not up to the pre-race quality of past years—just five fillies went to post, and only one, favored Tonalist's Shape, was a graded stakes winner—Paris Lights and Crystal Ball put on a good show.
Crystal Ball held a narrow lead in the 1 1/8-mile race over Paris Lights through fractions of :24.43, :47.82, and 1:11.54 before being worn down by the latter over the final furlong. The two bumped approaching the wire, though a stewards' inquiry never took place.
The Bill Mott-trained Paris Lights, a 3-year-old filly by Curlin , narrowly bested the Bob Baffert-trained Crystal Ball, a Malibu Moon daughter. The winner finished the distance in 1:50.81 on a fast track, paying $6 as the second choice.
What a great feeling to see ur two fillies side by side in a G1. Happy for the @WinStarFarm Stablemates crew! Some of them said they might die if we won......hope they are still with us!
Great job Bill Mott and Bob Baffert. Thank you for all you & ur team does. #headbob #G1winner pic.twitter.com/yVn8L17JTT— Elliott Walden (@WinStarCEO) July 19, 2020
"My filly just kept digging in. The other filly was a little stubborn to get by, but my filly is all class," said winning rider Tyler Gaffalione, who picked up his first grade 1 win at Saratoga.
Gaffalione has been aboard Paris Lights in every one of her four starts for Hall of Fame trainer Mott. In her two previous starts, she won maiden and allowance races at Churchill Downs once stretched out to routes.
The win was a redeeming one for Mott, who turned the tables on Baffert three years after coming out on the losing end of a memorable stretch battle in the 2017 CCA Oaks when Elate finished a head behind the Baffert-trained Abel Tasman.
"I think the fact we had another allowance race in her at Churchill (helped)," said Mott, who notched his second CCA victory following Ajina in 1997. "She broke her maiden and we were able to get another allowance race in her for experience and build on that experience a bit and on her confidence level. It paid off today."
Crystal Ball had one fewer start and was coming off a maiden score at Santa Anita Park June 14. Still, she finished 4 3/4 lengths ahead of third-place Antoinette.
"She's a young horse, and it was just the third start of her career," said Crystal Ball's rider, Javier Castellano. "The way it developed, with better horses in this race, she hooked up and battled with one of the best horses. I'm not disappointed. I'm happy the way she did it. We just got beat on the (head) bob."
Paris Lights (outside) and Crystal Ball race a head apart in the CCA Oaks
Tonalist's Shape, racing with blinkers for the first time, was steadied while placed tight by Antoinette entering the first turn and was rank shortly thereafter. She let down the betting public by tiring to be a well-beaten fourth, only in front of slow-starting Velvet Crush.
Altaf was scratched.
With the CCA Oaks a Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying race, Paris Lights earned 100 points toward the Sept. 4 race at Churchill Downs. She is not yet Kentucky Oaks-nominated but can be made eligible with a late nomination fee of $500 by Aug. 15. Because she is not yet nominated, she is not officially on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. She would rank fourth upon nomination.
Crystal Ball picked up 40 points and Antoinette 20 points. Both now have a total of 40 points as part of the series, ranking 14th and 13th, respectively. The top 14 points earners gain entrance to the Oaks when it oversubscribes.
The $500,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) Aug. 15, the final Kentucky Oaks qualifier, is in play for Paris Lights, Mott said.
"I don't see any reason we wouldn't make that her potential goal. We've been lucky enough to win it a couple of times, and naturally I'd like to try it again," said Mott, a three-time winner of the Alabama.
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Paris Lights is the first winner from the Bernardini mare Paris Bikini, a three-quarters sister to graded stakes winner America.
The dam also produced Cousteau, a 2-year-old Into Mischief colt, who is in training at Saratoga with Todd Pletcher after a fifth June 19 in his debut at Churchill. She has a Distorted Humor yearling filly and foaled a colt by Always Dreaming this year.