By DRF.com
PLEASANTON, Calif. (June 12, 2024) – In her 14-race career, which includes four stakes wins and seven overall victories, Northern California Yearling Sale graduate Chancery Way is unbeaten in one aspect of her career – she has never lost on the California fair circuit.
Chancery Way has won three races in as many starts at fair meetings at Pleasanton and Sacramento since her career began in 2022. The streak is in jeopardy when Chancery Way starts in Saturday’s $75,000 Mary Clare Schmitt Pleasanton Oaks for Golden State Series-eligible fillies and mares at six furlongs at the Alameda County Fair.
Chancery Way is by Mr. Big, out of the War Chant mare This Means War, was bred by Harris Farms & John Nicoletti, is owned by Andy and Rob Smolich and is trained by Jamey Thomas. The $6,000 purchase at the Northern California Yearling Sale has seven wins in 14 starts, earnings of $365,770 and is coming off a second in the Mar. 17 Irish O’Brien.
Chancery Way, a game second in two stakes on turf at Santa Anita earlier this year, won her only previous start at Pleasanton, leading throughout a six-furlong allowance race in 2022.
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Winning the Pleasanton Oaks with the same style will be difficult.
The Pleasanton Oaks drew a field of six, many with as much speed as Chancery Way. Smiling Molly, an outsider who has yet to win a stakes, is capable of a sub-21-second opening quarter-mile. Pushiness, winner of the CTBA Stakes for 2-year-old statebred fillies at Del Mar last summer, has set the pace in her three starts. Tom’s Regret, who won the 2023 Pleasanton Oaks, has led early at times.
Pushiness is not a definite runner, trainer Michael McCarthy cautioned in a text message Thursday.
Chancery Way, who drew the inside, will be part of the pace, trainer Jamey Thomas said.
“I’ve got the rail,” he said Thursday. “I’ve got to go.
“It’s definitely going to be a tough race. The break will be a huge part of it.”
Chancery Way has not raced since she finished second by a half-length in the Irish O’Brien Stakes for California-bred fillies and mares on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in March. Chancery Way set the pace in that race, but was caught when the field crossed from the hillside onto the main turf course.
Thomas said Chancery Way did not start in recent months to prepare for Saturday’s race and the Governor’s Cup Stakes for sprinters at Sacramento in July, a race she won last year.
Chancery Way has run well following a layoff in the recent past. She won the Betty Grable Stakes at Del Mar last November in her first start in more than two months.
“We’re hoping we can put it together and run good again,” Thomas said.
Stakes winner Pushiness, the lone 3-year-old in the field, won her first two starts last June and August before she finished seventh of 12 in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante last September. Pushiness set the pace to the turn of that seven-furlong race before fading through the stretch.
Trained by Michael McCarthy, Pushiness had one workout later in September before she was given a lengthy rest. Pushiness resumed workouts in early April and has had a steady pattern of works at Santa Anita in the last two months.
Pushiness is by Kantharos, out of the Empire Maker mare Imperial Pippin, was bred by Richard Barton Enterprises, is owned by Repole Stables and trained by Michael McCarthy. She has two wins in three starts and earnings of $108,350.
A rapid pace will suit the versatile filly Tom’s Regret. Trained by Steve Miyadi, Tom’s Regret won the 2023 Pleasanton Oaks by 4 1/2 lengths as the 4-5 favorite by stalking the early pace. A similar trip is possible Saturday.
Stakes winner Tom’s Regret is by Tom’s Tribute, out of the Quality Road mare Pure, was bred by DP Racing, is owned by Cinema Thoroughbreds, Beckerle, Michelle K., Carrillo, Saul, Flores, Victor M., Johnson, Burton and Zondlo, Eugene and trained by Steve Miyadi. She has three wins in 10 starts, earnings of $318,073 and is coming off a third in the June 2 Desert Stormer. She won this race last year.
Scary Fast Ride is by Clubhouse Ride, out of the Congaree mare Scary Fast, was bred by owner Harris Farms and is trained by Sean McCarthy. She has two wins in nine starts, earnings of $143,820 and is coming off a third in a May 5 optional claimer.
Smiling Molly is by Smiling Tiger, out of the Exchange Rate mare Jilted Lady, was bred by W. Morgan Fussell & Joseph Wisner, is owned by Hoof Pick Racing Partners and is trained by D. Wayne Baker. She has two wins in 15 starts, earnings of $143,906 and making her first start since a second in a Nov. 11 optional claimer.
Swift Nonni is by Run Brother Ron, out of the Sierra Sunset mare Free Sunset, was bred by George and Mary Clare Schmitt, is owned by Bernardo Orsi and George Schmitt and is trained by Marcia Stortz. She has five wins in 21 starts, earnings of $105,865 and is coming off a fifth in a May 11 claimer.
The Pleasanton Oaks is the first of five stakes at the four-week meeting, which continues through July 7.
Defending champion Tom’s Regret and Chancery Way, multiple stakes-winning graduate of the Northern California Yearling Sale, are entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Mary Clare Schmitt Pleasanton Oaks for Golden State Series-eligible fillies and mares at the Alameda County Fair.