KENTUCKY INVADER CHOCOLATE MARTINI TAKES ON THIRTEEN SQUARED IN SATURDAY’S GII SUMMERTIME OAKS

By Mike Willman —-

KENTUCKY INVADER CHOCOLATE MARTINI TAKES ON THIRTEEN SQUARED IN SATURDAY’S GRADE II, $200,000 SUMMERTIME OAKS AT 1 1/16 MILES

ARCADIA, Calif. (June 13, 2018)—A Grade II winner in New Orleans two starts back, trainer Tom Amoss’ Chocolate Martini ships west from her Kentucky base to take on Bob Baffert’s Grade I stakes-placed Thirteen Squared and four other 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Summertime Oaks at Santa Anita.

CHOCOLATE MARTINI

Owner: Double Doors Racing, LLC Trainer: Tom Amoss
A bargain $30,000 claim at Fairgrounds in New Orleans four starts back on Feb. 2, this Kentucky-bred daughter of Broken Vow took a first condition allowance first off the claim going a mile and 70 yards at Fairgrounds Feb. 18 and was then a game neck winner of the Grade II Fairgrounds Oaks on March 24, as she rallied from off the pace going 1 1/16 miles at 13-1. Most recently a well beaten fifth by Monomoy Girl in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks May 4, she’s had three recorded works since, the most recent a five furlong drill at Churchill Downs on June 9 in 1:00.60, third fastest of 41 that morning. She’ll be ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat on Saturday and although she rallied to win the Fairgrounds Oaks, she’s also been successful pressing the early pace. With an overall mark of 8-3-0-1, she has earnings of $305,936.

THIRTEEN SQUARED

Owner: Arnold Zetcher, LLC Trainer: Bob Baffert
The class of the local contingent, this Arnold Zetcher homebred daughter of Liaison comes off a disappointing fourth place finish in the ungraded Angels Flight Stakes going seven furlongs here on May 12. In what was her best race to date, she ran a big second, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, behind Midnight Bisou three starts back in the Grade III, 1 1/16 miles Santa Ysabel Stakes on March 3—a race in which she earned a lofty 90 Beyer Speed figure. Subsequently third, beaten seven lengths by Midnight Bisou in the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks April 7, she then cut back in distance for the Angels Flight. Sidelined due to injury in the Angels Flight, Tyler Baze gets back aboard Thirteen Squared on Saturday and she can be counted on to be hustled early in the Summertime Oaks. With an overall mark of 8-1-1-2, she has earnings of $120,210.

THE GRADE II SUMMERTIME OAKS WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 6 of 11 Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT

1. Thirteen Squared—Tyler Baze—120
2. Fool’s Paradise—Tyler Conner—120
3. Exuberance—Gary Stevens—120
4. Zusha—Drayden Van Dyke–120
5. Chocolate Martini—Flavien Prat—124
6. Ollie’s Candy—Kent Desormeaux—120

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m Admission gates will open at 10 a.m. For additional racing information, please visit santaanita.com.

Cover Photo: Chocolate Martini; Hodges Photography