This time, Enable made a defeat of familiar rival Magical look easy.
The great mare went gate to wire to win Thursday’s Yorkshire Oaks (G1), a likely final prep for what could be her last race as Enable pursues a third straight victory in France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
While four were entered in the Oaks, it was essentially a two-horse event. A second entry apiece from the John Gosden and Aidan O’Brien barns prevented a match race between the 1-2 finishers — in this same order — of both the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs as well as the Coral-Eclipse earlier this season at Sandown.
Magical sat third until entering the stretch. As she began her rally, Enable’s jockey, Frankie Dettori, took a glance between his legs to get a measure of the competition. When asked, Enable, a 5-year-old daughter of Nathaniel, kicked on to win her 13th of 14 career races.
This season is closely following 2017's trajectory. That year, Enable won Ascot’s King George (G1) and the Yorkshire Oaks before trying the Arc for the first time.
Of course, in 2018, she made her way to the U.S. to cap the season with the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The championships haven’t been mentioned by Enable’s connections this season, as she’s expected to begin a broodmare career after the Arc. But should she travel stateside again, Enable now holds “Win and You’re In” tickets to the Breeders’ Cup Turf and Filly & Mare Turf.
Prince Khalid Abdullah's Enable was off at 1-9 on the U.S. tote in the Yorkshire Oaks with Magical the 3-1 second choice. The winning connections selected the Yorkshire Oaks believing Enable's best distance is 1 1/2 miles, and the Juddmonte International -- won by O'Brien horse Japan -- ran a tick shorter at 1 5/16 miles.
