2023 Summertime Oaks Preview & FREE Picks | The Alys Look Invades Santa Anita For New Trainer Davis

Dr. Miranda previews the 2023 Summertime Oaks (G2) from Santa Anita Park, then gives her top picks & long shots. The Silverbulletday Stakes winner The Alys Look invades southern California in her 1st start for new trainer Chris Davis after most recently running 3rd in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Will she return a winner? Tell us YOUR thoughts in the Comments section!

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The press release:

       Fresh off a solid third place finish for trainer Brad Cox in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks, The Alys Look figures prominently as she goes for a new barn and makes her Southern California debut in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.

       A wide-open affair on paper, the Summertime Oaks, to be contested at a mile and one sixteenth, has attracted a field of seven sophomore fillies. 

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       Owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash, The Alys Look, who has been stabled at Keeneland following her 2 ¾ length defeat in the Kentucky Oaks May 5, will make her first start for Kentucky-based trainer Christopher Davis, who at entry time, had eight wins from 73 starts this year. 

      A 3-year-old filly by Connect out of the Harlan’s Holiday mare Foul Play, The Alys Look, who shipped into Santa Anita on May 24, had her final Summertime breeze at Keeneland on May 19, going a half mile in 48.80. 

      An ungraded stakes winner going a mile and 70 yards at Fairgrounds in New Orleans three starts back on Jan. 21, The Alys Look was subsequently third, beaten seven lengths in the Grade II Fairgrounds Oaks at a mile and one sixteenth March 25.  Off at 30-1 in the Kentucky Oaks, she kept to her task to secure third money under Javier Castellano. 

      With Mike Smith engaged to ride on Saturday, The Alys Look approaches the Summertime Oaks with earnings of $304,278 from an overall race record of 7-2-1-3. 

      Although light on seasoning, John Sadler’s Anywho looks to be long on ability, as she galloped to a two-length score in a seven furlongs allowance here on March 27, which was her first start for Sadler.  A first-out winner at going seven eighths at Aqueduct Oct. 23, Anywho, a filly by Bolt d’Oro, rang up a Summertime Oaks best last-out Beyer Speed Figure of 90 in her March 27 win. 

       Off at 9-2 with Flavien Prat in her local win, Anywho, who was purchased privately by Hronis Racing, LLC following her maiden win in New York, gets the services of Joe Bravo as she tries two turns, a route of ground and stakes company for the first time. 

       A disappointing fifth as the 3-5 favorite two starts back in the Sunland Park Oaks on March 26, Bob Baffert’s Doinitthehardway returned home and bounced back with 2 ¼ length allowance score on May 12 and thus looms a solid contender. 

       A rollicking nine length one mile maiden winner here three starts back on March 3, a race in which she earned a solid 86 Beyer, Doinitthehardway will no doubt be forwardly placed with Juan Hernandez up.   

       Owned by recent Hollywood Gold Cup winning connections Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Doinitthehardway is by Street Sense out of the Awesome Again mare Virtuoso.  With an 8-2-2-1 mark, she has earnings of $144,920.    

      Distanced by 17 lengths at 45-1 in the Kentucky Oaks, Peter Miller’s Grade I winning And Tell Me Nolies should run a much improved race with regular rider Ramon Vazquez back aboard.  Second to Baffert’s Faiza in both the Grade II Santa Anita Oaks April 8 and in the Grade III Santa Ysabel March 5, And Tell Me Nolies had an outstanding 2-year-old campaign, winning both the Grade I Del Mar Debutante and the Grade II Chandelier Stakes prior to running eighth in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland Nov. 4.  

       Owned by Peter Redekop B.C., Ltd, And Tell Me Nolies is by Arrogate out of the Exchange Rate mare Be Fair.  The leading money earner in the field with $485,300, she’s 8-3-2-0 overall. 

       Ridden by Juan Hernandez to a fourth place finish going a mile and one eighth on turf in the Grade III Providencia Stakes here on April 29, Ancient Peace will be handled by a red-hot Tiago Pereira for the first time on Saturday.  Pereira, who is currently third in the Hollywood Meet standing with 15 wins, had four winners this past Sunday and his two wins on Monday included a score in the Grade I Shoemaker Mile with Exaulted. 

      A runaway six length allowance winner going one mile two starts back on April 8, Ancient Peace is one of two John Sadler trainees and rates an upset chance in what will be her fifth career start and her second on the main track.   

       Owned by Boardshorts Stables, Inc., Ancient Peace, an Ontario, Canadian-bred daughter of War Front out of the A.P. Indy mare Deceptive Vision, has a win on turf and one on dirt. 

THE GRADE II SUMMERTIME OAKS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER  

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT 

1. The Alys Look—Mike Smith—120 
2. Window Shopping—Hector Berrios—120 
3. And Tell Me Nolies—Ramon Vazquez—124 
4. Lily Poo—Umberto Rispoli—120 
5. Doinitthehardway—Juan Hernandez—120 
6. Ancient Peace—Tiago Pereira—120 
7. Anywho—Joe Bravo—120  

   First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 1 p.m. with admission gates opening at 11 a.m.