Paul and Karen Eggert’s homebred filly OLLIE’S CANDY moved her record to a perfect three-for-three by capturing her stakes debut in Saturday’s $200,345 Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
With jockey Kent Desormeaux aboard, the sophomore daughter of Candy Ride tracked pacesetting 7-5 favorite Thirteen Squared through splits of :23.69, :47.96 and 1:12.40. Ollie’s Candy made her move heading into the lane, ranging up outside of the leader and dueled with that one all the way to the finish.
Ollie’s Candy began inching clear in the shadow of the wire, enough so that she had a neck in front of Thirteen Squared on the line in a final time of 1:44.72 for 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track. Sent off the 7-2 third choice, she paid $9.60 for the win.
It was another 4 1/4 lengths behind Thirteen Squared to 8-5 second choice Chocolate Martini, who had a neck to spare over Zusha in fourth. Fool’s Paradise completed the order under the wire after Exuberance was pulled up in the stretch and walked off the track.
Bred in Kentucky, Ollie’s Candy is now 3-3-0-0, $151,800 in her career. The lightly raced lass broke her maiden on April 22 by 6 1/2 lengths and scored a 7 3/4-length victory against allowance/optional claiming rivals on May 13. Both of those starts came going six furlongs over Golden Gate Fields’ synthetic Tapeta, so Ollie’s Candy successfully transitioned to dirt and stretched out in this spot.
Ollie’s Candy is out of the Grade 3-winning Stroll mare Afternoon Stroll, making her a half-sister to dual stakes-placed Celestial Sighting.
SUMMERTIME OAKS QUOTES
Kent Desormeaux, jockey Ollie’s Candy, winner
“Well I’ve worked her a few times and the way she’s been working told me that she was ready. At the quarter-pole I knew I had a battle in front of me.
“She sprinted (home) there and she was able to hold it.”
Billy Morey, trainer Ollie’s Candy, winner
“Looking forward, through the rest of the year, all the big races for three-year-old fillies are going a route of ground, so we decided to try it today. (Jockey) Kent (Desormeaux) and I have been lucky together. He’s ridden the three biggest winners in my life, this one being one of them.
“This filly handled everything well today. She was calm at the barn when we brought her over and her ears went up when we put the bridle on her. She was great saddling and all the way through the paddock.”
Paul Eggert, co-owner/breeder Ollie’s Candy, winner
“We’re all very excited. Bill has done a great job with the filly. We knew she was game but I didn’t know she was going to be a graded stakes winner, but she is now.
“Her works have been excellent and she’s training well so we were expecting here to do well. We were confident, we weren’t assuming anything but we were hopeful.”
