Soothsay, Crazy Beautiful Meet in Summertime Oaks

Two Oaks winners from opposite coasts will face off May 30 in the $200,000 Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita Park. 

Soothsay , winner of the April 3 Santa Anita Oaks (G2), and Crazy Beautiful , winner of the March 27 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), along with three others will meet in the $200,000 Summertime Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. The 1 1/16-mile test goes as the eighth of nine races on the Sunday card, with an expected post time of 4:30 p.m. PT.

Soothsay, trained by Richard Mandella, has only started twice, but has impressed both times. She broke her maiden in her Feb. 26 debut by 1 1/2 lengths and returned to capture the April 3 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) by a half-length over odds-on favorite Beautiful Gift . Soothsay's connections contemplated running her in the April 30 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), but elected to stay home.

"We asked a lot of her to do this," Mandella said after she won the Santa Anita Oaks in her second start.

Perry and Ramona Bass, Adele Dilschneider, and Dell Hancock race Soothsay. The partners bred the daughter of Distorted Humor  —Spellbound , by Bernardini  , in Kentucky in the name of Raydelz Stable.

Flavien Prat, who rode Soothsay in both of her previous races and is the current leading rider at Santa Anita, will be back aboard. Soothsay drew post 4.

Crazy Beautiful competed in the Kentucky Oaks, but had little chance after being bothered at the start and then racing seven wide in the stretch before finishing 10th. Prior to that, however, Crazy Beautiful won the Gulfstream Park Oaks by 2 1/4 lengths after running second in the Feb. 27 Davona Dale Stakes (G2), her 3-year-old debut. At 2 she won the Runhappy Debutante Stakes and ran second in the Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) and Pocahontas Stakes (G3).

"She had a little bit of a rough trip in the Kentucky Oaks, but that happens sometimes," said trainer Kenny McPeek. "She's doing well at this point. She's a solid filly and very professional."

Earlier this year, McPeek shipped champion Swiss Skydiver  to Santa Anita to win the March 13 Beholder Mile (G1). Phoenix Thoroughbred III owns Crazy Beautiful, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Liam's Map  —Indian Burn , by Indian Charlie. Mike Smith will be in the irons from post 2.

Each of the other three fillies in the Summertime Oaks has won one race apiece.

Prat piloted Lady Aces  to a 3 1/2-length victory in a May 2 maiden race in her second start. With Prat on Soothsay, Umberto Rispoli inherits the mount for Peter Eurton, who trains the Maryland-bred daughter of Constitution   for Lee and Susan Searing's CRK Stable. Lady Aces will break from the rail.

Plum Sexy , to be ridden by Abel Cedillo from post 3, won her racing debut at Santa Anita Oct. 12, but hasn't visited the winner's circle in six subsequent starts. She most recently finished fourth in allowance/optional claiming company. Doug O'Neil trains the Canadian-bred daughter of Munnings   for a partnership headed by CTR Stables. Plum Sexy was supplemented to the race for $4,000.

Irish-bred Absolute Scenes  scored her maiden win late last year in Great Britain. She has started three times during the current Santa Anita meeting, seventh each time—once in the Blue Norther Stakes and twice in allowance/optional claimers. Richard Baltas trains the daughter of Dawn Approach for Abbondanza Racing and Medallion Racing. Baltas has named Trevor McCarthy aboard, and Absolute Scenes drew post 5. 

Entries: Summertime Oaks (G2)

Santa Anita Park, Sunday, May 30, 2021, Race 8

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 4:52 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lady Aces (MD)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	120	Peter Eurton	4/1
2	2Crazy Beautiful (KY)	Mike E. Smith	124	Kenneth G. McPeek	6/5
3	3Plum Sexy (ON)	Abel Cedillo	120	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
4	4Soothsay (KY)	Flavien Prat	124	Richard E. Mandella	4/5
5	5Absolute Scenes (IRE)	Trevor McCarthy	120	Richard Baltas	50/1