Soothsay Handles Class Hike in Santa Anita Oaks
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Soothsay holds off Beautiful Gift to win the Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita Park
Racing Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella thought Soothsay might be the rare horse who could both stretch out and jump up in class off a debut maiden win.
The daughter of Distorted Humor rewarded that judgment April 3 at Santa Anita Park.
After an early inside move under Flavien Prat to seize the advantage in the far turn of the $392,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) Saturday, Soothsay proved up to the challenge in the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile test for 3-year-old fillies. After grabbing the lead on the far turn, Soothsay was shadowed by Moraz and Beautiful Gift as they entered the stretch, with Soothsay and Beautiful Gift soon pulling away from Moraz.
In a stretch-long duel in her first start at two turns, Soothsay held sway over grade 3 winner Moraz, who was sent off the favorite. The victory gave Mandella his fourth Santa Anita Oaks victory.
Mandella entered Soothsay in the Santa Anita Oaks after the powerfully built filly delivered an eye-catching final quarter mile in her six-furlong maiden debut Feb. 26 at Santa Anita. With Prat up, she surged past four rivals in the stretch of that race and drew off to a 1 1/2-length score. After that effort, she continued to progress in the mornings.
"We expected a lot of her from the first start. From that start until now, she just grew up," Mandella said. "You kind of see it happening otherwise we wouldn't do something like this. If you watched her last workout, you could see how serious she was. I thought she was something special. I was hoping I was right."
Campaigned by Claiborne Farm, Perry and Ramona Bass, and Adele Dilschneider, Soothsay completed the 1 1/16-mile test in 1:44.35.
Video: Santa Anita Oaks (G2)
With the score, Soothsay punched her ticket to the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) if her connections decide to make the trip to Churchill Downs, as she earned 100 qualifying points with the victory. Beautiful Gift picked up 40, Moraz 20, and Javanica 10.
"We'll see (about the Kentucky Oaks)," Mandella said. "We asked a lot of her to do this, so we'll make sure we pare back whatever we need.
"It's a nice dream."
After breaking well in the field of four Saturday, Soothsay settled in third as Moraz seized the lead inside while pressed by Beautiful Gift. Those two were entered off the March 7 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) where Beautiful Gift prevailed by a head over Moraz. On Saturday, Moraz led through an opening quarter-mile in :24.34 and a half-mile in :49.04.
Entering the turn and confident his filly would again be capable of a sustained drive, Prat sent Soothsay through on the inside as they entered the far turn and she took the lead through six furlongs in 1:13.18 that she would not relinquish.
"It was pretty slow, so I thought twice and said, 'let's go.' We better go now," Prat said. "I asked her at the three-furlong pole and she went so easy. She responded really well."
Bred in Kentucky by Raydelz Stable, Soothsay is the first stakes winner out of grade 2-winning Bernardini mare Spellbound, who boasts two winners from as many starters. Spellbound is a half sister to grade 3 winner Kid Cruz.