Field of Seven Set for Jockey Club Oaks

The first weekend of what promises to be a lengthy stay at Aqueduct Racetrack features the $350,000 Jockey Club Oaks (G3T) for 3-year-old fillies on the Sept. 16 card.

With the New York Racing Association intent on pressing ahead with the renovation of Belmont Park, the likelihood is that with the exception of a Belmont Stakes (G1) week stint at Saratoga Race Course racing will continue at Aqueduct until Saratoga re-opens in mid-July with some renamed meets such as the current Belmont at the Big A festivities.

European trainer Charlie Appleby will try to regain his winning touch at a NYRA track with Saturday's 1 3/8-mile turf test, sending out Godolphin's Eternal Hope, a group 2-placed daughter of Teofilo  making her first U.S. start, to face six rivals. In Appleby's last five NYRA starts, he has a third and four unplaced finishes.

Speirling Beag , a daughter of Mastercraftsman , was sixth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T) and most recently second by a nose in the Searching Stakes at Laurel Park for trainer Graham Motion and owners Walmac Farm, Gainesway Stable, and Haras d'Etreham.

Elusive triple

The Jockey Club Oaks closes out NYRA's Turf Triple for 3-year-old fillies. The previous two legs, the Belmont Oaks and the Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T), were won by Aspen Grove  and Elusive Princess , respectively. No one has ever swept all three legs of the Turf Triple for either males or fillies since the two series were created in 2019.