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Clan ambushes Circus in American Oaks At the top of the stretch in Saturday's $750,000 American Oaks Invitational S. (G1), PURE CLAN (Pure Prize) was full of run with nowhere to go, and a hard luck story was on the verge of unfolding for the 5-2 favorite. Then, when a tiny seam opened up late, the Bob Holthus filly barreled through to collar Satan's Circus (Gone West) and win going away by three-quarters of a length. With Julien Leparoux in the saddle, Pure Clan finished 1 1/4 miles on Hollywood Park's firm turf in 2:00 2/5 to remain a perfect four-for-four on the grass, advance her lifetime record to 9-6-1-2, and surpass the six-figure mark with $1,002,416 in earnings. Pure Clan enjoyed a ground-saving trip from her rail post while rating well off the early pace. As expected, Raw Silk (Malibu Moon) set up shop on the front end through splits of :24, :47 and 1:10 4/5. Missit (Ire) (Orpen) tracked in second, while Backseat Rhythm (El Corredor), Satan's Circus and My Baby Baby (Bernstein) also raced within shouting distance of the leader. Rounding the far turn, Missit accosted Raw Silk, and Pure Clan cruised up into a contending position on the inside, just awaiting room to angle out in the stretch. By this point, Satan's Circus commenced her advance on the outside, hemming in Pure Clan behind the toiling pair of Raw Silk and Missit. As Satan's Circus unleashed a potent move and surged to the front in midstretch, Pure Clan finally sensed a whiff of daylight between rivals, and she drove through to establish her superiority. The game winner, who is campaigned by Lewis Lakin, IEAH Stables and Pegasus Holding Group Stables, returned $7, $4 and $3.40. "I tell you, it took me 56 years to find a race I could win," Holthus said of his California foray. "I was a little worried turning for home if she was going to be able to get through, but she made it. She always runs the last sixteenth of a mile as hard as she can." French shipper Satan's Circus outran her 14-1 odds in her American debut, giving back $12.60 and $10 for her excellent runner-up effort. The 18-1 Clearly Foxy (Volponi) rallied from far back to finish third, just a half-length astern of Satan's Circus, and paid $9.80. The $1 exacta was worth $45, the $1 trifecta totaled $478.10, and with the 3-1 second choice Carribean Sunset (Ire) (Danehill Dancer) in fourth, the 1-3-5-9 superfecta ($1) was good for $2,378. Missit came in fifth, followed by Magical Fantasy (Diesis [GB]), Backseat Rhythm, Raw Silk, Bel Air Sizzle (Unusual Heat), Zaskar (GB) (Anabaa), Annie Skates (Mr. Greeley) and a tailed-off My Baby Baby. Pure Clan was undefeated in four starts as a juvenile. The chestnut won her first two starts on turf before switching to dirt and taking the Pocahontas S. (G3) and Golden Rod S. (G2). Pure Clan was second to the ill-fated Eight Belles in the Honeybee S. (G3) in her seasonal debut, and was third to that rival in the Fantasy S. (G2) before finishing third to Proud Spell (Proud Citizen) in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Reverting to the grass in the Regret S. (G3) last time out, she rolled to an impressive 2 3/4-length victory. Bred in Kentucky by A. Lakin & Sons Inc., Pure Clan is out of Grade 3 heroine Gather the Clan (Ire) (General Assembly), who has also produced Grade 2 winner Greater Good (Intidab). Pure Clan has an unraced two-year-old half-sister named Running Clan (Cherokee Run) and a 2008 half-brother by Gone West. Pure Clan's second dam is What a Summer (What Luck), champion sprinter of 1977. Holthus mentioned the August 16 Del Mar Oaks (G1) and the October 11 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland as possible future targets.
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