Funny Moon edges Don’t Forget Gil in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Belmont Park

Funny Moon wins Coaching Club American Oaks

NEW YORK — Funny Moon edged Don’t Forget Gil by a neck Saturday to win the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.

Rachel Alexandra, the class of the division, was out of the picture and Funny Moon took advantage to get her first stakes win. Ridden by Alan Garcia, Funny Moon proved best in the scramble to the wire after negotiating the final turn.

Funny Moon, trained by Christophe Clement, ran the 1¼ miles in 2:02.44 on the fast track for her fourth win in six starts. She earned $180,000 for Mrs. C. Wilson McNeeley III, paying $17.20, $8.50 and $6.70. Don’t Forget Gil returned $11.40 and $8.40. Wynning Ride paid $5.40 to show.

“She didn’t want to make the turn, she wanted to keep going straight,” Garcia said. “After correcting that, my filly she was much the best.”

Rachel Alexandra will again tackle the colts on Aug. 2 in the $1.25 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.