Desert Dawn goes from longshot to favorite in Summertime Oaks

Desert Dawn was 14-1 when she won the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks in her second start of 2022 in April. She was 50-1 when she closed steadily through the final furlong to be a surprise third in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 7 at Churchill Downs.

Desert Dawn’s longshot days are over, at least temporarily. She will be favored to beat six rivals in Sunday’s Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.

The $200,000 Summertime Oaks, run at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies, drew a solid field, including Kirstenbosch, who closed well to be second in the Angels Flight Stakes at seven furlongs on May 8; Lady T, who won a maiden special weight race at a mile by 14 1/2 lengths on May 15; and Under the Stars, a well-beaten fourth after a bad start in the Santa Anita Oaks.

Under the Stars and Lady T are likely to race near the front, while Desert Dawn typically races from a tracking position.

Desert Dawn’s status in the 3-year-old filly division has improved in her last two starts. Trainer Phil D’Amato said recently that a win in the Summertime Oaks could lead to a start in a more lucrative stakes in another part of the country later in the summer.

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Owned and bred by H and E Ranch of Arizona, Desert Dawn was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Secret Oath in the Kentucky Oaks at 1 1/8 miles. After the race, jockey Umberto Rispoli told D’Amato that he wished he had urged Desert Dawn into contention earlier in the race.

“He told me that if he had moved a little sooner when the winner did he would have been a little closer,” D’Amato said.

“He wasn’t saying he would have won it, but it would have made it more interesting.”

By Cupid, Desert Dawn has won 2 of 8 starts and earned $492,150, by far the highest earnings of the Summertime Oaks field. Last fall, Desert Dawn was third in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita and later last of six in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.

Since the Kentucky Oaks, Desert Dawn has had three workouts, including six furlongs in a sharp 1:12 last Sunday.

The Summertime Oaks is the graded stakes debut for Lady T, who was second in the Anoakia Stakes for 2-year-old filly sprinters last October. The recent win at a mile was her first start around two turns. Lady T was always near the front before taking a commanding lead in early stretch.

“We knew she’d like two turns,” trainer John Shirreffs said. “The 14 lengths surprised us.”

The other runners in the Summertime Oaks are Bicameral, who won a maiden special weight race by 10 1/2 lengths on April 15; Empire Gal, who was a well-beaten third in the Angels Flight; and Ganadora, who will have her stakes debut after winning her first two starts.

Under the Stars has experience at the distance. On March 6, she was a game second to Eda in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles.

Under the Stars won the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs in January. For the Santa Ynez and Santa Ysabel, Under the Stars was trained by Bob Baffert, who is currently suspended.

In the Santa Anita Oaks, Under the Stars was badly compromised when she stumbled at the start. The Santa Anita Oaks was her lone start for trainer Tim Yakteen. She has since been transferred to Sean McCarthy.

“It just wasn’t her day,” McCarthy said of the Santa Anita Oaks.

The Summertime Oaks is the graded stakes debut for Kirstenbosch, who won a maiden special weight race at 1 1/8 miles on turf in her second start April 8.

“She won on the grass, but I don’t think she liked it,” trainer John Sadler said recently. “This is what we’ve been waiting for.”