Manuka Honey wins first Oaks prep, remains perfect in Pocahontas

Manuka Honey launched her bid leaving the far turn and drove to a two-length victory in Saturday’s $297,750 Pocahontas (G2) at Churchill Downs. Now unbeaten from three starts, the Brian Lynch-trained daughter of Upstart confirmed herself as a serious contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and picked up 10 points winning the first Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying race, scoring by two lengths beneath regular rider Luis Saez.

A seven-length winner of the Aug. 9 Ellis Park Debutante, Manuka Honey broke her maiden by a 7 1/4-length margin when making her career debut at Churchill in mid-June. The early/presser had to work harder in the Pocahontas, wearing down pacesetter Scarlet Begonia in deep stretch to win going away in the end, and the odds-on favorite completed the one-turn mile in 1:36.90.

“I’m really proud of her,” Saez said. “She had to really fight to get by the leaders and she kept finding more for me late.”

Owned by Lisa Lee, Jason Sciortino, William Lynch, Brian Howe, and breeder Terry Hamilton, Kentucky-bred Manuka Honey is the first stakes winner out of the stakes-placed Hold Me Back mare Drop Dead Red.

“She really had to work for it today,” Lynch said. “There was some stage there where I thought she had a task ahead of her. This filly just lays it down each time.”

The Pocahontas awarded points on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward a Kentucky Oaks (G1) berth to the top five finishers.

Scarlett Begonia, the 3-1 second choice following a third in the Adirondack (G3) at Saratoga, held second by a head over Miss Anna. Stripe Show came next in fourth and Betty Sue, For the Win, and Pierette completed the order of finish.

Manuka Honey will stretch to two turns next time out in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Oct. 30.

“We’re excited to see her stretch out a little bit more and get her to the Breeders’ Cup,” Lynch said.