Saratoga success for With The Moonlight

Frankel three-year-old With The Moonlight put in a powerful performance to win the Gr.3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes on Sunday (7th August 2022). McKulick placed second in the race to give Frankel a one-two.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 8th August 2022:

The team of owner/breeder Godolphin, trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick celebrated a second lucrative victory over the Saratoga turf in as many days as With The Moonlight led home a one-two finish for her sire in the Gr.3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational on Sunday. Having finished second to re-opposing McKulick (Frankel) in the Gr.1 Belmont Oaks Invitational, she was backed at even-money with a perceived pace advantage on that rival.

With The Moonlight and Buick allowed McKulick's stablemate Contemporary Art to show the way as they sat second by a couple of lengths. She sidled up to the pacesetter aggressively after six panels in 1:15.18 with McKulick swinging wide to join the fray. But neither Brown filly could run with the European raider in the stretch as she pulled away powerfully on her incorrect lead.

"She felt really good today," Buick said. "I think the team had been really happy with the way she was training, so they were quietly confident going into it. She travels very well, which is key really. Our horses coming from Europe to here, they always improve with one run on these tracks. It's a lot different for them. Yesterday [with Nations Pride] and the filly today, they were always going to improve off that first run and I think they showed that."

He added: "It's nice to come over here with two nice horses, two nice rides and two winners. It's a real privilege to be here to be honest. It really feels special."

Scoring twice on all weather from four tries overall in England as a juvenile, With The Moonlight resurfaced to annex Newmarket's Pretty Polly Stakes. convincingly but faded abruptly to last in the Gr.1 Oaks the following month. She was ridden by Frankie Dettori in the Belmont Oaks.

"They went hard at Belmont and to be fair to Frankie, it was the first time he'd sat on her and I said, 'look, ride her like she'll get the trip,'" said Appleby.

"On the evidence of today and evidence of that day, coming back a half a furlong suited her. She's got plenty of boot. You could almost bring her back to a mile. The more races she's got, the more experience she's got. She's learning how to do it. It was a good performance today."