Sugar Fish, despite stumbling start, surges to Summertime Oaks victory

ARCADIA, Calif. - When it mattered most, Sugar Fish met jockey Tyler Baze’s expectations in Saturday’s Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.

Racing on the inside, Sugar Fish reached contention on the second turn, dueling briefly for the lead with 1-2 favorite Nothing Like You.

“On the backstretch, I was where I wanted to be,” Baze said. “I was all smiles. I said, ‘Mama, will you show up today?’ She answered the question with an exclamation point.”

Sugar Fish ($13.40) pulled clear of three rivals to win the $196,000 Summertime Oaks by 9 ¾ lengths in her stakes debut. Sugar Fish ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.41 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 91.

The longest shot in a field of four, Sugar Fish recorded the win despite stumbling at the start. The incident left Sugar Fish last, trailing early leader Jane Austen by three lengths on the first turn and about two lengths on the backstretch.

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Nothing Like You, the winner of the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks by 7 1/2 lengths in April and two other stakes in 2023, was well positioned on the outside of 7-2 Jane Austen on the backstretch under jockey Juan Hernandez.

“We had a good break,” Hernandez said. “I was in a good position, that was the plan to put her in a rhythm.”

On the turn, Hernandez urged Nothing Like You, who was unable to keep pace with Sugar Fish.

“At the three-eighths pole, she was really steady,” Hernandez said of Nothing Like You. “She didn’t kick like she did last time. She didn’t fly. The winner beat us easily. I don’t have any excuses.”

Jane Austen, who set early fractions of 23.80 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.80 for a half-mile, finished three-quarters of a length behind Nothing Like You. Show Card, who was near the front early, faded rapidly through the final quarter-mile.

Sugar Fish, by Accelerate, has won 3 of 6 starts and earned $189,540 for owners Sweetwater Stable and Michael Talla and trainer Jeff Mullins.

The Summertime Oaks was her third consecutive win. Sugar Fish was the 10-length winner of a maiden race in which she was eligible to be claimed for $40,000 on March 29, and won an allowance race by a head at a mile on April 26.

Baze has ridden Sugar Fish in her last four starts, including a second in a $40,000 claimer for maidens on Feb. 15, the filly’s first start for Mullins.

“Last time, she should have won by five lengths, in my opinion,” Baze said. “She’s been working so well and getting better.”

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