Under the Stars Defeats Lady T in Summertime Oaks

A clean start in the June 12 Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita Park allowed Under the Stars  to showcase her considerable talent, while a bad stumble compromised the favorite, Desert Dawn . It was nearly the opposite of what happened in the April 9 Santa Anita Oaks (G2), when Desert Dawn had the clean break and Under the Stars stumbled.

Under the Stars, the second choice at 7-2, broke cleanly for Juan Hernandez, who was aboard the filly for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile race on a fast dirt track. Ganadora , who like Under the Stars is a former Bob Baffert runner now trained by Sean McCarthy, immediately went to the front, with Under the Stars racing in second.

"Fortunately, today we got away clean," McCarthy said. "She stumbled badly in the Santa Anita Oaks, and it pretty much took her out of contention, which happened to the favorite today. Ganadora set the pace, which wasn't too fast, and Under the Stars was in the right spot and was able to take advantage of it."

Ganadora completed the first quarter-mile in :22.94 and was also responsible for the half-mile split of :47.28. The biggest threat came from Lady T , who broke her maiden by 14 1/2 lengths in her previous start. Lady T and jockey Victor Espinoza were sitting in third on the outside.

"About the five-sixteenths pole, I could see that Victor was pretty loaded on the outside of us and kind of clocking us," McCarthy said. "I was concerned certainly, but fortunately this filly had a very good kick and was able to pull away."

Lady T challenged Ganadora and Under the Stars on the second turn as Under the Stars took command from her stablemate. Under the Stars and Lady T dueled into the stretch, but by the eighth pole Under the Stars had clinched it, defeating Lady T by 1 1/4 lengths while stopping the timer in 1:43.51.

"This filly is really game because around the three-eighths, she felt the outside horse and she started to pick it up on her own," Hernandez said. "I felt like she was good, so I just let her go."

Desert Dawn, the 7-10 favorite, winner of the Santa Anita Oaks and third in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), trailed through the first part of the race. She rallied on the second turn to finish third, nine lengths behind Lady T, after the stumble cost her good position early. Ganadora and Kirstenbosch  dead-heated for fourth, 2 1/4 lengths behind Desert Dawn.

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith own Under the Stars, a daughter of Pioneerof the Nile who was bred in Kentucky by Eaton. For Baffert, Under the Stars won the seven-furlong Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) and finished second in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3). She ran three times at 2 last year, with a third in the Desi Arnaz Stakes in her second start and then breaking her maiden.

"I've got to credit Jimmy Barnes and the rest of the crew. They really did a lot of schooling with her in the paddock," McCarthy said. "She can get hot on herself, and today she was very calm and very composed, which I liked. She's put a little weight on since the Santa Anita Oaks and came in here fresh and showed it today."

McCarthy recorded his second stakes win in two days, with Hopper  capturing the June 11 Affirmed Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita. He also won his second race on the June 12 card, following Valiancy 's victory in the fifth race, a mile maiden race for fillies and mares 3 and up.

Under the Stars has a bottom line rich in black type. Her dam, Untouched Talent, a daughter of Storm Cat, won the 2006 Sorrento Stakes (G3) at Del Mar and finished second in that year's Del Mar Debutante (G1) and Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G2). She is the dam of millionaire Bodemeister  , who won the 2012 Arkansas Derby (G1) and finished second in the Kentucky Derby presented by Yum! Brands (G1) to I'll Have Another , as well as stakes-placed Fascinating  and Himiko . Untouched Talent has 2020 and 2021 colts by Justify   and dropped an Uncle Mo   colt this year.

Video: Summertime Oaks (G2)