The Alys Look, Anywho clash in Summertime Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – Kentucky-based The Alys Look arrived at Santa Anita with less drama than California-based Anywho arriving at Churchill Downs.

The 3-year-old fillies meet for the first time in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on Saturday at Santa Anita, where stakes winner The Alys Look faces easier after her third in the Kentucky Oaks and 2-for-2 Anywho makes her stakes debut a month later than planned.

Seven entered the $200,000 Summertime Oaks, a 1 1/16-mile race in which The Alys Look and Anywho face graded winner And Tell Me Nolies and stakes winner Lily Poo, along with Window Shopping, Doinitthehardway, and possibly Ancient Peace.

The Alys Look arrived in California on May 24, and her new Kentucky trainer Chris Davis said the filly has “looked incredible” training over the Santa Anita surface.

“She acts like an older mare,” Davis said. “She’s a big, two-turn rangy horse and an absolute delight to be around.”

Beyond looks and manners, The Alys Look has ability. Previously trained by Brad Cox, she has won 2 of 7 for Ike and Dawn Thrash, including a listed stakes at Fair Grounds. The Alys Look moved from Cox to Davis two days after finishing third in the Kentucky Oaks; her first start for Davis is the Summertime Oaks.

“She’s a stakes winner and Grade 1-placed,” Davis noted. “It would be nice for her residual value to get a Grade 2 win, see how she handles Santa Anita, and if she is that caliber and maintains good form until November, at least we’ve got a start over the track.”

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The Breeders’ Cup Distaff is Nov. 4 at Santa Anita, and The Alys Look must improve to be competitive against older fillies and mares. For now, The Alys Look and jockey Mike Smith enter the Summertime Oaks as the current class, with the top route figures – 88 Beyer Speed Figure in the Kentucky Oaks, 89 winning the Silverbulletday.

Anywho won a 90-Beyer allowance sprint in March, her first start after she was purchased at auction by Hronis Racing and moved to trainer John Sadler. The allowance set up Anywho for the Grade 2 Eight Belles Stakes on May 5 at Churchill Downs, and Anywho shipped five days out. But like Kentucky Derby entrants Practical Move and Skinner, the filly got sick and did not make the Eight Belles.

“She was on the grounds at Churchill, got a little fever, and we didn’t enter her,” Sadler said. “She missed about five days [of training], came back, and her blood work looked good, so we were able to get back on a fairly good schedule. I’ve got the training in her that I want.”

Anywho won her first two starts in sprints at seven furlongs, and Sadler sees no problem with two turns in the Summertime Oaks.

“She handles everything really well, she’s super-smart,” Sadler said.

Anywho looked good on video in team works and will be ridden by Joe Bravo.

Sadler also entered Ancient Peace, a romping front-running winner of an off-turf allowance route in April, followed by a misfire as the favorite in a Grade 3 on turf. “Last time, we tried rating her, she resented it a little bit,” Sadler said. Ancient Peace finished fourth at 3-5.

A front-runner, Ancient Peace would play a key role in the Summertime Oaks, but she is not a confirmed starter. Sadler said he and owner Boardshorts Stables are “looking at two or three different spots.”

And Tell Me Nolies won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante and Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes last year, placed in two graded stakes this year at Santa Anita, then was annihilated on the first turn of the Kentucky Oaks and finished 12th. Her career-high Beyer is 78.

Lily Poo won the $75,000 California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields last out; Doinitthehardway adds speed; Window Shopping finished third in the Santa Anita Oaks last out.

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