Jostle dictates all the pace to easily win the Coaching Club American Oaks

John Servis could not have been more proud as he stood in Belmont Park winner's circle on July 22. "This is the biggest win of my career," the 41-year-old Mid-Atlantic-based trainer said following a 3 1/4-length score by Fox Hill Farms' Jostle in the 84th renewal of the $350,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1), giving the conditioner his first Grade 1 victory.

Coaching Club American Oaks (G1)
Belmont Park, July 22, $350,000, 11/2 miles, fast, 2:29.99
1-JOSTLE, f. 3, Brocco-Moon Drone, by Drone.
2-Resort, f. 3, Pleasant Colony-Extravagant Woman, by Alydar.
3-Secret Status, f. 3, A.P. Indy-Private Status, by Alydar.

Servis has judiciously mapped key races this season for the three-year-old Brocco filly out of Moon Drone by Drone, something he hopes will lead to championship honors at year's end. A victory in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) on May 19 at Pimlico Race Course was the springboard to a second-place finish, 2 1/4 lengths behind Kentucky Oaks (G1) victor Secret Status, in the Mother Goose Stakes (G1) on July 1 at Belmont. In that race, torrid early fractions compromised Jostle, who still held on gamely for the place.

In the 1 1/2-mile Oaks, the final leg of the New York Racing Association's triple tiara series for fillies, Jostle and jockey Mike Smith dictated the race's pace and turned the tables on Secret Status, the Neil Howard-trained A.P. Indy filly who had been viewed as the divisional leader.

"We had a much better trip today, things went her way, and this time it worked out well for us," Servis said. "The pace made all the difference, both in this race and (the Mother Goose). Mike's ridden her twice and he rode her super."

Jostle, the 2.85-to-1 second choice of the 9,104 who attended the penultimate day of the Belmont 2000 spring-summer meeting, sprang from the gate quickly in the field of seven. Smith relaxed her on the front end and set leisurely fractions of :24.09, :49.20, 1:15.09, and 1:41.01. Racing Hall of Fame rider Pat Day, aboard 0.45-to-1 favorite Secret Status, loomed between a half-length and 1 1/2 lengths between calls throughout the opening mile, but the filly started to fade in the middle of the sweeping far turn and was passed by Odgen Phipps's Resort.

"Once Resort passed us, it was all over," Day said. "I was scrubbing hard on the turn and got no response. She's a better filly than she showed today." Resort and Edgar Prado made a menacing stretch move, but all it took for Jostle to kick into overdrive was some moderate urging from Smith. Jostle's time for the 12 furlongs on a fast track was 2:29.99, faster than the 2:31.19 it took Bob and Beverly Lewis's Commendable to win the Belmont Stakes (G1).

Secret Status held on for third, two lengths in front of John Peace's Sound of the West. Polly Jo, Zoftig, and Miss Chief completed the order of finish.

No other options

"It didn't surprise me that Secret Status was that close to the lead," Servis said of the way the Oaks unfolded. "They really had no other options." "A mile and a half is really a game of cat and mouse," Smith said. "I know it sounds weird, but horses seem to be tougher on the lead when you are going 12 furlongs as opposed to ten. After you run 1 1/8 miles, it's tough to come up with a closing run, and that's what played to our advantage. (Jostle) really dug in and showed she wants to win."

The Coaching Club American Oaks brought to an end a long drought for Smith- it was his first win in a New York stakes this year.

For Howard, the result was a disappointment, but he still found one fact in which to take a bit of solace.

"As I'd said earlier, this is probably the first and last time these fillies will go a mile and a half, and I wasn't worried about the distance going in," Howard said. "The jury was still out on them, but not on Jostle anymore. It was a tricky race. John (Servis) took advantage of the speed his filly has. Our filly didn't run to her capability. Our filly was close to the pace, but she wasn't out of her game."

The $210,000 winner's share of the Oaks hiked Jostle's career earnings to $668,170. She now has a record of six victories and three seconds in 11 career starts.

"She wants to be a racehorse," Servis said. "She feels so good lately that she's squealing and kicking my barn walls down at 5 a.m."

The next rematch between owner Ralph Evans's Jostle and Secret Status could take place on August 19 in Saratoga Race Course's $750,000 Alabama Stakes (G1) at 11Ú8 miles, provided both fillies remain healthy. Servis, Howard, and Claude R. "Shug" McGaughey III, trainer of Resort, said the Alabama is next on their agendas.

In a New York minute-Preliminary figures for the Belmont Park spring meeting, which ended on July 23, showed a 6% percent decline in on-track attendance and a 7% drop in handle. Friday's 3 p.m. twilight cards suffered the biggest hits-a 13% decline in on-track attendance with total Friday twilight handle falling 5%. New York Racing Association President Terry Meyocks said he still plans to recommend 3 p.m. Friday post times to the board of directors next spring.