BRED and owned by Racing Associates 2, trained by Robert Pearson, and ridden by Reyan Lewis, three-year-old bay filly Our Angel dominated her peers in the 83rd running of the filly’s only 10-furlongs Jamaica Oaks, the final Classic for the season on Sunday, August 7, 2022.

Our Angel, bred by Savoy Stomp out of the Region of Merit mare Golden Glory, won by five lengths, in a time of 2:11.1 seconds for the 10 furlongs of the contest. Sunset Silhoutte (Anthony Thomas) came home in second place with Pelicula getting up for third.

THE RACE

It was an even start for most of the runners in the 10-horse field (Outbidder was a late non-starter) as Our Angel sat behind Golden Wattle (Tevin Foster) passing the stands for the first time and around the clubhouse turn. Sunset Silhoutte (Anthony Thomas) chased the leaders from close range.

Our Angel continued to bide her time down the backstretch as Golden Wattle tried to steal a march on the field. Our Angel and Silent Mission (Phillip Parchment) joined Golden Wattle going into the half-mile (800m) turn.

Our Angel then slipped through to the lead, with Silent Mission on her outside. Golden Wattle renewed her challenge but once they straightened for the drive, the race was all over as Our Angel sprinted clear.

TRAINER’S COMMENT – Robert Pearson

“It was a good race; I mean, Our Angel ran how I expected her to run. She had beaten most of these horses already and so I was expecting a win on Sunday. I chose the easier race, the race that I think she could manage, and I was trying to avoid Atomica — obviously, you saw what she did on Saturday — and I think I made the right choice to run Our Angel in the Oaks.”

JOCKEY’S COMMENT – Reyan Lewis

“Our Angel won comfortably in the end as she wasn’t giving in the gallop — she continued to gallop right through. The instructions coming into the race were to get a good break, if anyone wants to challenge me for the lead, I just let them go, and keep close enough as when they are ready to make their move I am right at them. I had a lot of horse in hand and so I wasn’t worried. I just rode my horse and we won.”

THE POSITIVES

It is good to see a filly from this year’s batch, outside of Atomica, stepping up to the plate and delivering on the grand stage. Our Angel is a nice filly at a stage of improvement. In winning the Jamaica Oaks Our Angel looked very strong in her gallop as she made full use of the absence of Atomica. Our Angel is now in the Open Allowance grade where the going is tough.

THE NEGATIVES

Atomica and Our Angel are the top two fillies in training in the order given. The rest will struggle to go through their conditions pointing to the weakness of this three-year-old grouping.

The problems of the champion two-year-old of last year Golden Wattle are continuing. She has raced five times at three and has not won a race. In the Oaks, Golden Wattle went to the lead but lost momentum in the straight.