Desert Dawn Back Home in California for Summertime Oaks
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Photo: Casey Laughter
Desert Dawn's Kentucky sojourn earned her a third in the Kentucky Oaks, and she is entered in the Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita Park
Everyone should raise a "reject" like Desert Dawn . The mother and daughter team of Elena and Hollie Crim bought her back at auction for $32,000, and the filly is now going for her second grade 2 win after running third in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). Winner of the Santa Anita Oaks (G2), Desert Dawn will be well backed to add the June 12 Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita.
The Crims run H&E Ranch out of Scottsdale, Ariz., and offer the horses they raise for sale. They have been delighted with keeping Desert Dawn, whose earnings are approaching $500,000 under the tutelage of Santa Anita leading trainer Phil D'Amato.
"She's doing awesome after she got back from Kentucky," said Elena Crim. "That was a big deal for her, to fly there, different climate—she'd never seen rain before. It hasn't rained in Arizona in two years. That she did as well as she did is beyond exciting. She came out of it beautifully, without a bump."
Originally, the Crims and D'Amato planned to give Desert Dawn more of a break. Elena Crim said that D'Amato told her the filly is doing so well that he thought they should go on.
"Tell me which way to go," said Crim to her trainer, adding that D'Amato "is captain of the ship—I'm just the first mate."
The Crims bred Desert Dawn, a daughter of Cupid —Ashley's Glory , by Honour and Glory , in Arizona, raising her themselves, as they do many of their Thoroughbreds. Elena said that they have a half sister by Mineshaft they are readying for the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale, offering her through Lane's End as agent.
Regular rider Umberto Rispoli will be back aboard Desert Dawn from the rail for D'Amato.
Trainer Sean McCarthy has former Bob Baffert runners Under the Stars and Ganadora in the Oaks field.
Under the Stars, a daughter of Pioneerof the Nile and stakes-placed last year, won the seven-furlong Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Jan. 8. She ran second in the March 6 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) and fourth after stumbling badly at the start in the Santa Anita Oaks, both at the same 1 1/16-mile distance of the Summertime Oaks.
McCarthy will saddle Under the Stars for the first time, with Juan Hernandez riding from post 6.
Ganadora, a daughter of Quality Road , cost $1 million at the 2020 Keeneland September yearling sale. She has won her two starts, a maiden race at Santa Anita Feb. 26 by 6 1/2 lengths and an allowance optional claiming race at Santa Anita April 10 by a nose. Hernandez piloted Ganadora in both of those 6 1/2-furlong races, and this time Abel Cedillo will ride from post 2.
Bicameral is another who has switched barns, from Richard Baltas to George Pappaprodromou. Owned by brothers Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, the daughter of Constitution broke her maiden at a mile by 10 1/2 lengths in her fifth start for Baltas. Her previous races included a third in the seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante (G1) Sept. 5.
Kirstenbosch and Empire Gal finished second and third in the seven-furlong Angel Flight Stakes at Santa Anita May 8. John Sadler trains Kirstenbosch, who has one win and two seconds in three starts. Michael McCarthy trains Empire Gal, who defeated maidens in her only other start.
Lady T , trained by John Shirreffs, didn't have a clean trip in her first five starts. Yet she managed to finish second in the 2021 Anoakia Stakes and fourth in the Desi Arnaz Stakes. With a good journey in a May 15 mile maiden race, she won by 14 1/2 lengths.
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, June 12, 2022, Race 9Entries: Summertime Oaks (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Desert Dawn (AZ)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
124
Philip D'Amato
5/2
2
2Ganadora (KY)
Abel Cedillo
120
Sean McCarthy
4/1
3
3Bicameral (KY)
Ricardo Gonzalez
120
George Papaprodromou
10/1
4
4Kirstenbosch (KY)
Tyler Baze
120
John W. Sadler
6/1
5
5Empire Gal (FL)
Ramon A. Vazquez
120
Michael W. McCarthy
12/1
6
6Under the Stars (KY)
Juan J. Hernandez
120
Sean McCarthy
3/1
7
7Lady T (KY)
Victor Espinoza
120
John A. Shirreffs
3/1
