Soothsay overacame a bad start with a big stretch rally to win Wednesday’s $200,000 Indiana Oaks (G3) by a neck in a four-horse photo finish.
It was the third victory in four lifetime starts, all this year, for the 3-year-old daughter of Distorted Humor. That includes a victory in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) in her second start, followed by a second in that track’s Summertime Oaks (G2). She now has earnings of $431,800 for her owner/breeder Raydelz Stable.
Prospects for a top-three finish did not look good after the bay filly broke in air and was last of nine going into the first turn. To compound matters, Lovely Ride was setting a slow pace of :24.71 and :48.88 for the half-mile. Soothsay began to make up ground while three-wide on the final turn, then came five-wide in the stretch. She made up about three lengths in the final furlong with a late surge to claim the victory in 1:44.36 on a fast main track.
“Her stakes races (in California) were such small fields, it wasn’t like she got a lot of experience,” said trainer Richard Mandella by phone. “But she sure ran (like she had), other than getting away bad. But I think that was just sitting in the gate a long time. Their patience wears out sometimes, and it looked like that’s what happened, and she kind of just blew when they opened it. But she sure ran like a pro the rest of the way.”
Soothsay’s dam Spellbound won the 2014 La Canada S. (G2) for Mandella and is a half-sister to multiple graded winner Kid Cruz. Soothsay has a yearling filly by More Than Ready.
