Jockey Club Tour on Fox Hits Spa, Del Mar on Sunday

Stopchargingmaria is the headliner for the CCA Oaks at Saratoga on Sunday. (Photo credit: NYRA)

Hold off on the barbecue as horse racing goes national on Sunday afternoon, with the latest edition of the Jockey Club Tour on Fox going coast to coast for a couple of Grade 1 races.

First, it is off to Saratoga for opening weekend of the 40-day meeting, with Sunday’s feature the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). Then it will be off to Del Mar for the $300,000 Eddie Read (G1).

The CCA Oaks at the Spa drew a field of six led by Stopchargingmaria, the 8-5 morning line favorite. The Todd Pletcher trainee has won four of her eight starts including a pair of Grade 2 races and a Grade 3.

Pletcher is off to a good start at the meeting with four winners and a couple of seconds from his first nine starters over the first two days of the meet. The trainer has won the Spa training title 10 times and has won the CCA Oaks five times including last year with Princess of Sylmar.

The second choice on the morning line is the Dallas Stewart trained Unbridled Forever at 9-5. The filly is coming off a third place finish behind Sweet Reason and Sweet Whiskey in the Acorn (G1) at Belmont Park going a mile on the main track at Belmont Park. In her two previous starts, she ran third behind Untapable in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle America (5-1), who is coming off a third place finish in the Mother Goose (G1). She finished behind Stopchargingmaria two back in a fifth place finish in the Black Eyed Susan (G2) at Pimlico.

Completing the field are Miss Besilu (6-1), Courageous Julie (15-1) and Taketheodds (8-1). Post time for the CCA Oaks is 6:04 pm ET.

The Eddie Read at Del Mar is a 1 1/8 mile test on the new turf course that was recently installed and has been playing very fast. A field of six will line up led by Summer Front, who was installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite.

The Christophe Clement trainee could not catch a loose on the led Obviously last out in a runner up finish in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) at Santa Anita.

Tom’s Tribute (2-1) was third in the Shoemaker Mile after some early trouble and fits with a cleaner trip. The colt has earned triple digit Beyers in three of his last four starts.

Completing the field are Spring Up (10-1), Cogito (15-1), Horizontalyspeakin (3-1) and Unbridled Command (6-1).

The telecast will also feature segments on historic racing moments, local events and social scenes, and a comparison of fashion styles between the tracks.

Other segments of the show will be devoted to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Thoroughbred ownership, and interviews with Chris Kay, New York Racing Association’s CEO and president, and Joe Harper, Del Mar’s CEO, president, and director.

For selections for the CCA Oaks and Eddie Read check out Michael Dempsey’s article on Bleacher Report.

The Jockey Club Tour on Fox complete schedule follows:

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