Love is Hot Favorite for Yorkshire Oaks

Love bids to become the first filly to complete the QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1), Investec Oaks (G1), and Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1) treble since the legendary Petite Etoile 61 years ago in the main event on day two of the Ebor festival.

There may be no Enable in attendance, the superstar mare being the latest to complete the Epsom/York double in 2017, but trainer John Gosden offers more than token resistance by fielding the classy pair Frankly Darling and Franconia against the dual classic winner Aug. 20.

These Aidan O'Brien versus Gosden matchups have been a theme of the summer, most recently when Enable ran over O'Brien pair Sovereign and Japan in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth QIPCO Stakes (G1) at Ascot, but there are serious grounds for thinking the Ballydoyle trainer may well get his revenge this time.

Just over two months ago, Love swept up the Rowley Mile for a 4 1/4-length triumph in the One Thousand Guineas and showed that was no fluke when scoring by over double that margin in the Investec Oaks at Epsom the following month, where she had the reopposing Frankly Darling back in third.

Following that display of versatility, Love was installed as the favorite for the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (G1), and it will be disappointing if her standing in the Paris betting falls after this test, in which she faces five rivals.

The omens are good as Love is certainly bred for the Knavesmire as her half sister Lucky Kristale won the Connollys Red Mills Lowther Stakes (G2) on this very card in 2013.

O'Brien, who is chasing a fifth win in the 1 1/2-mile contest, said: "We're very happy with Love. Everything has gone well with her since Epsom, she had a bit of time off, and has done very well physically. She is ready to start back.

"We're taking it one race at a time with her, as we always do, but obviously we have the Arc in the back of our mind. She has done very well this year, over a mile in the One Thousand Guineas and over a mile and a half at Epsom, and we're really looking forward to running her."

Gosden, who has four Yorkshire Oaks wins to his name, said: "Obviously, we are going there with much respect to Love, who is a really fabulous filly.

"Frankly Darling has had a break since finishing third behind her in the Oaks when she really didn't handle the track at all, hopefully a return to a flatter track may help."

On Franconia, he added: "Franconia won well there last time in a listed contest. She is up in class and trip but deserves to take her chance."

Anthea Morshead, the racing manager at York, the evening before the race said she expected to make a going change the following morning with sporadic rain around overnight at the course before a primarily dry day.

"It was good, good to soft in places by the end of the meeting, which matched with what the times and what the jockeys were telling us," Morshead said. 

"It rained quite heavily after the last race and there is a bit more rain around tonight, but it's a lovely, fine day tomorrow where it's mostly dry but a big feature of the day will be the wind starting to pick up. We'll expect to make a going change at 6 o'clock tomorrow morning." 

The Yorkshire Oaks offers the winner a berth in the Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Nov. 7 at Keeneland as part of the international Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.