Madaket Stable’s Lottie Margaret and Manny Franco cruise to the finish of Monday’s New York Oaks. SV Photography.
A hop in the air at the start of Monday’s $75,000 New York Oaks at Finger Lakes proved to be no problem for Madaket Stable’s Lottie Margaret, the convincing winner of the 1 1/16-mile race for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies.
The daughter of Global Campaign settled into stride several lengths behind her three rivals after that start. She saved ground going into the first turn under Manny Franco to put herself in third, within 2 lengths of the lead, through the opening quarter-mile.
Tracking the pace set by Mischief Lady, Lottie Margaret stayed glued to the rail along the backstretch through opening fractions of :24.34 and :48.57. Entering the far turn, Franco sat motionless on Lottie Margaret as the rest of the field started being asked for their runs. Franco guided his filly through an opening on the inside nearing the quarter pole, and the pair had no trouble finishing from there.
Lottie Margaret won by 3 lengths in 1:46.53 as the longest shot in the field at 7-2. Valtellina finished second, followed by Vehemente and Mischief Lady. Practically Summer scratched.
Trained by Brad Cox, Lottie Margaret earned her first stakes victory in the New York Oaks. She entered the race off a fifth in an allowance-optional against open company and a second in the state-bred Maddie May Stakes, both run at 1 mile at Aqueduct. Prior to that, she broke her maiden and won an allowance-optional against state-breds by a combined 20 1/4 lengths. Her victory Monday boosted her record to three wins in six starts with earnings of $165,020.
Bred by Steve Schuster and foaled at Old Saratoga Equine Services in Schuylerville, Lottie Margaret sold for $75,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale in August 2023. She’s the sixth foal and first stakes winner out of the Street Cry mare Passionate Diva, whose other foals include the three-time winner and stakes-placed Mashnee Girl. Passionate Diva has foaled two other winners in Cape Cod Diva and I’m More Ready. She is the dam of the unraced 2-year-old A L Leader, by Code Of Honor.
