Robert Masterson's Southlawn, trained by Norman Casse, seeks her first Grade 1 victory in Saturday's $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks, a 1 1/8 mile main track test for 3-year-old fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.
The daughter of Pioneerof the Nile captured the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in March ahead of a 10th-place finish as the 5-1 second choice in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs.
Southlawn broke sharply in the Kentucky Oaks but still found herself five-wide and unable to save much ground, leading to a lack of response at the top of the stretch.
The bay breezed four furlongs over the Saratoga main track in :48.88 Saturday in her first workout since shipping from Churchill Downs, where she worked weekly after the Kentucky Oaks.
Casse said Southlawn, who initially targeted the Acorn (G1) on June 9 at Belmont Park, has progressed from her Oaks effort.
“She had a tough trip in the Oaks, so we decided to skip the Acorn and give her a little bit of time off, a freshening,” said Casse. “She's had a steady series of works leading into this and been training really well. She looks great, we got a nice easy half mile into her over the Saratoga main track and she handled the track very well.
“Our feeling is that when Southlawn is at her best, she is just as good as anyone,” Casse added.
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