Even the coolest racing fan, the most laid-back racing fan, even fans who are super athletes with resting heartbeats under 40 bpm, would have gotten a tremendous adrenaline rush and a workout watching the 70th running of the Oaks.
In it, Buena Vista gave new dimension to the word "thrilling" as she came from last position to edge Red Desire at the wire in a heart-pounding finish.
Buena Vista had, from the start, been the horse to beat. The daughter of Special Week was coming off her fourth straight win, four out of a total five starts. Wins included two group 1s, the Juvenile Fillies and the Okasho, Japan's equivalent of the 1,000 Guineas. Considered a shoo-in for her second jewel in the fillies' Triple Crown, the slightly built dark bay went to the Oaks gate Sunday at Tokyo Racecourse with nearly 58 percent of all bets to win amid a lineup of 18 of Japan's best 3-year-old fillies. The Okasho runnerup, Red Desire, was a far second choice.
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