Moira, Holy Helena, Dixie Moon, Lexie Lou, Inglorious.
Those are a few of the Woodbine Oaks winners from the last two decades, fillies who won the biggest prize for Canadian-bred three-year-old gals and went on to more glory on the track, increasing their value as they went. Moira is still racing, of course, and the other four either sold for big money at auction or are producing foals worth big money.
It remains to be seen what this year’s Oaks field will produce even with the maximum of 14 starters (second consecutive year with 14 starters). It is widely accepted among the horsepeople set that this field is one of the weakest in years based in part on their current track records.
The highest last-race Beyer Figure (from Daily Racing Form) of these fillies is the 79 earned by CAITLINGERGRTNESS when she won a 7 1/2 furlong turf race on July 6 off a long layoff. That was two weeks ago and the filly is expected to come right back in the Oaks on the Tapeta with Rafael Hernandez riding. Most of the last 20 winners of the Oaks had Beyers well into the 80s before they won the coveted first race of the Triple Tiara.