Under the Stars has smooth trip, takes Summertime Oaks
ARCADIA, Calif. – Under the Stars took advantage of two key factors to upset the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks on Sunday at Santa Anita – a clean break that led to a trouble-free trip, and a disastrous start by odds-on favorite Desert Dawn.
The result was a 1 1/4-length victory by Under the Stars ($9.20) over runner-up Lady T in the route stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Desert Dawn, entering off a third-place finish in the Kentucky Oaks and the 7-10 favorite in the Summertime Oaks, finished nine lengths back in third after stumbling badly and losing all chance at the break.
The win by Under the Stars was the second stakes victory of the weekend for trainer Sean McCarthy, who won the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes on Saturday with the colt Hopper. Both horses, Hopper and Under the Stars, began their careers with Bob Baffert and are expected to return to the Baffert stable this summer.
Under the Stars was making her first start for McCarthy and first since finishing a distant fourth in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks in April while temporarily trained by Tim Yakteen. Under the Stars stumbled badly at the start of the Santa Anita Oaks, but she had no such misfortune Sunday.
“Fortunately she got away cleanly today,” McCarthy said. “I gotta credit (assistant trainer) Jimmy Barnes and the whole crew. They did a lot of schooling with her in the paddock. She can get (excited) and today, she was very calm and composed, which I liked.”
Juan Hernandez rode Under the Stars, who broke running and pressed the pace set by stablemate Ganadora. Under the Stars challenged the pacesetter on the far turn, made the lead at the quarter pole and turned back Lady T in the stretch to win the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:43.51.
Sired by Pioneerof the Nile and sibling to Grade 1 winner Bodemeister, Under the Stars has won three races and $334,520 from seven starts. Her previous stakes victory was in the seven-furlong Grade 2 Santa Ynez in January.
The race was over early for 7-10 favorite Desert Dawn and jockey Umberto Rispoli. She stumbled badly when the gates opened. “I don’t know how I didn’t go over,” Rispoli said. “I think she touched her nose to the ground. There’s not much you can do.”
After breaking last, Desert Dawn gradually made up ground. “She dragged me through the kickback, but not many horses can recover like that,” Rispoli said. Desert Dawn loomed a threat at the quarter pole, then flattened out. Considering the break, Desert Dawn ran super to finish third.
Following winner Under the Stars, Lady T and Desert Dawn, the complete order of finish was Ganadora, Kirstenbosch, Empire Gal and Bicameral.