Nest Ready to Roll in Coaching Club American Oaks
By Tim Wilkin BloodHorse
Nest , owned by Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House, had her final tune-up July 16 for the $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).
The daughter of Curlin went five furlongs in 1:01 2/5 on the main track at Saratoga Race Course.
Nest last ran against the boys in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) June 11 and finished second to stablemate Mo Donegal. Before that, Nest was second in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) behind Secret Oath , whom she’ll face in the CCA Oaks on July 23 at Saratoga.
“She is doing really, really well,” trainer Todd Pletcher said while sitting in his office at his barn at the Oklahoma Training Track. “The concern when you run against colts is that it can potentially knock something out of them. In her case, she was so well prepared and well bred for the (Belmont) distance that it wasn’t a hard race on her.”
Pletcher said he gave Nest an “easy” three weeks following the Belmont and that the filly has responded.
“I don’t see how we could hold her on the ground for another month,” he said.