Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 2 Summertime Oaks, previously the Hollywood Oaks, comes our way from Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California this Saturday, June 21. A purse of $200,000 will be on the line for three year old fillies willing to go 1 1/16 miles on Santa Anita’s main track.
Eight Sophomore fillies will take part in the Summertime Oaks – race 8 on Santa Anita’s Saturday card. Post time is 4:30 PM. Let’s take a look into the credentials of all eight entries for this Grade 2 stakes.
Delta Flower – has four career starts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer with three wins and a third place finish. She enters on a three race win streak including her stakes debut last time out – the minor Angel’s Flight Stakes on this track May 17, in her only start for Hollendorfer, and the minor Rainbow Miss Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths March 29. Delta Flower will look to keep the impressive roll going and figures to bring the speed Saturday in her stakes debut with Corey Nakatani in the saddle from post 4 – in her first try around two turns.
La Mejor Fiesta – Wesley Ward pupil has placed in four of seven career starts – the off the board finishes coming last time out – a seventh in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico May 16, a fourth before that in the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks and a fourth in the minor Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes in September. She had a win three back in the minor Trapeze Stakes at Remington Park December 15 after a third in an Allowance at Keeneland in October. Her other win was a MSW in her debut in June which preceded a second in the minor Tippett Stakes at Colonial Downs in July. Kent Desormeaux rides from gate 5 in Le Mejor’s eighth start on her eighth different track.
Arethusa – is coming off a somewhat disappointing sixth in the Grade 2 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico May 16 after a fifth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks April 5, a third behind Fashion Plate in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes February 1, a fifth in her graded stakes debut – the Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet December 7 at Hollywood Park and a win in her stakes debut – the Sharp Cat Stakes on that same track November 16. She has a win, a second and two third place finishes in seven career starts but has failed to hit the board in her last two starts overall. Mike Smith gets the call from gate 3 aboard the most experienced entry in the field against top competition (three Grade 1 starts).
Stop Smiling – is coming off an Allowance Optional Claiming score at Golden Gate for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer after a third in a similar race on that same track in April and a fourth before that. Stop Smiling is one of the few in the field with graded stakes experience – she was a good third in her second career start – behind Concave and 2-year-old filly champion She’s a Tiger in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar in August, 2013. Stop Smiling will have the legendary Gary Stevens guiding her for the first time from the outside post Saturday.
Summertime Oaks betting online at Santa Anita Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Jojo Warrior – Bob Baffert trained filly has a win, a second and a third place finish in four career starts and is coming off a third at 7-5 odds in the listed Miss Preakness Stakes at Pimlico May 16. This after her only off-the-board finish – in the Grade 3 Eight Belles Stakes at Churchill Downs in May, which followed a second in the minor Instant Racing Stakes in April and a MSW score at first asking way back in September. She hopes to break through in graded stakes company for the first time Saturday when she leaves from the rail with Martin Garcia aboard.
Fleet of Gold – Jerry Hollendorfer trained filly has six career starts with just one win and a pair of third place finishes. She has finished seventh in two of her last three races including the Busher Stakes in February and an Allowance Optional Claiming in May, with a third in an Allowance on this track sandwiched in there. Her win came in her second career start – a MSW at Laurel Park but she hasn’t been great since. Alex Solis rides from post 7.
Front Range – Bob Baffert pupil will race for just the fourth time Saturday and is coming off a career worst performance – a seventh in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track May 24. This after breaking maiden May 1 and finishing third at first asking in a MSW also on this track in March. She steps into stakes company for the first time Saturday with Joe Talamo guiding her from post 6.
Live for Now – will race for the seventh time for trainer Eoin Harty after six MSW races produced a pair of seconds and a third place finish. Her second have come in the last three starts with a fourth sandwiched in there. She makes her stakes debut Saturday in OK form with Tyler Baze in the saddle from post 2.
