Mandella confident unbeaten Soothsay is ready for Summertime Oaks

Soothsay, the undefeated 3-year-old filly, was given a three-furlong workout in 38.20 seconds on Friday, two days before her third career start in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.

A workout on the cusp of a stakes is a tactic trainer Richard Mandella does “once in a while” and sometimes with great effect.

“We did it with Beholder a few days before the Breeders’ Cup,” he said.

Beholder worked a half-mile in 49.20 seconds on Oct. 28, 2013, and three days later won the BC Distaff at Santa Anita as a 3-year-old. Beholder ended her championship career three years later with another win in the BC Distaff.

Soothsay is only at the start of her career, but she has been perfect so far, winning a maiden special weight race at six furlongs on Feb. 26 and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on April 3.

Mandella considered Soothsay for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on April 30, but opted to keep the lightly raced filly in California. The $200,000 Summertime Oaks immediately became a late spring target.

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With a successful race by her on Sunday, Grade 1 races across the nation could easily be part of Soothsay’s schedule this summer.

“This is the goal right now,” Mandella emphasized.

Owned by the partnership of Ramona and Perry Bass, Adele Dilschneider, and Waddell Hancock, Soothsay will be ridden by Santa Anita leading rider Flavien Prat, who was aboard for the filly’s first two races.

In the Santa Anita Oaks, Soothsay was last of four before taking the lead on the turn. She held off a sustained threat to win by a half-length over the Grade 3 winner Beautiful Gift.

Mandella envisions a similar trip on Sunday for Soothsay, who is likely to track expected pacesetter Lady Aces, the winner of a maiden special weight race at six furlongs in her second start on May 2.

“I would guess the sprinter would go to the lead and we’d stalk her,” Mandella said.

Through late April and May, Soothsay has had a steady pattern of workouts that have left Mandella confident, including seven furlongs in 1:27.80 on May 22.

“She’s a little more professional, I’d say,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked her to do any more than she’s done. I think she might be improving.”

The 1 1/16-mile Summertime Oaks drew a field of five, including Plum Sexy, who was fourth in an optional claimer at a mile on turf on May 22 when eligible to be claimed for $150,000. Plum Sexy, trained by Doug O’Neill, was supplemented to the Summertime Oaks for $4,000 on Thursday.

Aside from Soothsay, the only other stakes winner in the field is Crazy Beautiful, who won the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on March 27 and was 10th after a troubled trip in the Kentucky Oaks.

Crazy Beautiful, trained by Ken McPeek, was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland last November. She is likely to have a similar trip as Soothsay.

“She’s tactical,” McPeek said earlier this week. “I think if she runs to her Gulfsteam Park race, she’ll be very competitive.”