NO CAL INVADER OLLIE’S CANDY WEARS DOWN FAVORED THIRTEEN SQUARED TO WIN GRADE II, $200,000 SUMMERTIME OAKS

By Mike Willman —-

OLLIE’S CANDY
Zoe Metz Photography

NO CAL INVADER OLLIE’S CANDY WEARS DOWN FAVORED THIRTEEN SQUARED TO WIN GRADE II, $200,000 SUMMERTIME OAKS BY A NECK UNDER DESORMEAUX; TRAINED BY MOREY, SHE GETS 1 1/16 MILES IN 1:44.72

ARCADIA, Calif. (June 16, 2018)—Unbeaten in two sprints on synthetic Tapeta at Golden Gate Fields, Paul and Karen Eggert’s homebred Ollie’s Candy was more than ready for her close-up on Saturday at Santa Anita, as she stalked favored Thirteen Squared and prevailed in a thrilling stretch duel to win the Grade II, $200,000 Summertime Oaks by a neck under Kent Desormeaux.
Trained by William E. Morey, the 3-year-old Candy Ride filly got a mile and one sixteenth in 1:44.72.

“Looking forward, through the rest of the year, all the big races for 3-year-old fillies are going a route of ground, so we decided to try it today,” said Morey, when asked what led into the decision to try graded stakes competition for the first time. “Kent and I have been lucky together. He’s ridden the three biggest winners of my life, this one being one of them.

A rousing 7 ¾ length allowance winner going six furlongs at Golden Gate May 13, Ollie’s Candy, who is out of the Eggert’s Stroll mare, Afternoon Stroll, was off at 7-2 in a field of six sophomore fillies and paid $9.60, $4.00 and $2.80.

“I’ve worked her a few times and the way she’s been working told me that she was ready,” said Desormeaux. “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.”

With her first stakes win in-hand, Ollie’s Candy is now unbeaten in three starts. With the winner’s share of $120,000, she near quadrupled her earnings to $151,800.

Thirteen Squared, who showed the way to the three sixteenths pole, battled gamely but was second best on the day, finishing 4 ¼ lengths in front of Chocolate Martini. Ridden by Tyler Baze, she took significant late money and paid $2.80 and $2.10 as the 7-5 favorite.

Grade II stakes winner Chocolate Martini, who shipped in from Churchill Downs for trainer Tom Amoss, never threatened the top two and finished third by a head over longshot Zusha. Off at 8-5 with Flavien Prat, Chocolate Martini paid $2.20 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.69, 47.96, 1:12.40 and 1:37.86.

GR. II SUMMERTIME OAKS QUOTES $200,000 JOCKEY QUOTES

KENT DESORMEAUX, 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.”

TRAINER QUOTES

BILLY MOREY, WINNING TRAINER OF OLLIE’S CANDY: “Looking forward, through the rest of the year, all the big races for 3-year-old fillies are going a route of ground, so we decided to try it today. Kent 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, OWNER, 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.”

About Us
Santa Anita Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is North America’s premier supplier of virtual online horseracing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.