Ollie's Candy makes it three straight in Summertime Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – Eight weeks ago, Ollie’s Candy was an unraced maiden. Saturday, Ollie’s Candy extended her unbeaten streak to three races with a victory in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, Ollie’s Candy ($9.60) was always close to the pace and fought past pacesetter Thirteen Squared to win the $200,345 race by a neck and getting a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She showed her tenacity to win,” Desormeaux said. “She won the race for us, for sure.”

Ollie’s Candy won her stakes debut, first start around two turns, and first start on dirt in the Summertime Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. Earlier this spring, Ollie’s Candy won two six-furlong races on the synthetic track at Golden Gate Fields - a maiden race on April 22 and an allowance race with a $40,000 claiming option on May 13.

The win was the first in a graded stakes for owners and breeders Paul and Karen Eggert and the first in a Grade 2 for trainer William Morey.

Desormeaux rode Ollie’s Candy for the first time in a race on Saturday, but had ridden the filly in workouts in recent weeks.

“What she taught me in the morning is she has a grass turn of foot,” he said.

Ollie’s Candy struggled to briefly gain footing slightly leaving the gate, but was second going into the first turn, a length behind Thirteen Squared.

“She slipped behind leaving the gate,” Desormeaux said. “She had to work hard to get even with the leader.”

Thirteen Squared set modest fractions of 23.69 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.96 for a half-mile, closely tracked by Ollie’s Candy to the turn. Ollie’s Candy moved closer to Thirteen Squared entering the stretch.

“He let her amble up there,” trainer William Morey said of Desormeaux’s ride. “We wanted to lay second and try to outrun [Thirteen Squared] and we did.

“He got after her between the quarter pole and the three-sixteenths pole. It was a battle and we were doing some screaming and riding in our box.”

Thirteen Squared, who was third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks in April, finished 4 1/4 lengths in front of Chocolate Martini, the winner of the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks in Louisiana in March. Zusha finished fourth, followed by Fool’s Paradise. Exuberance was pulled up in early stretch and was walked to the stable area.

Ollie’s Candy, by Candy Ride, has earned $151,800 in her three starts.