The Alys Look heads west for new trainer in Summertime Oaks

Fresh off a solid third-place finish for trainer Brad Cox in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, The Alys Look figures prominently as she goes for a new barn and makes her Southern California debut in Saturday’s Summertime Oaks (G2) at Santa Anita.

A wide-open affair on paper, the Summertime Oaks, to be contested at 1 1/16 miles, has attracted a field of seven sophomore fillies.

Owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash, The Alys Look, who has been stabled at Keeneland since her 2 3/4-length defeat in the Kentucky Oaks on 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 last Wednesday, had her final Summertime breeze at Keeneland on May 19, going a half-mile in 48.80 seconds.

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 Fairgrounds Oaks (G2) on 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 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-furlong allowance at Santa Anita on March 27, which was her first start for Sadler. A first-out winner at going seven eighths at Aqueduct on 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 after 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 1/4-length allowance score May 12 and thus looms a solid contender.

A rollicking nine-length winner in a one-mile maiden at Santa Anita three starts back on March 3, a race in which she earned a solid 86 Beyer, Doinitthehardway no doubt will 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 1 winner 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 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) on April 8 and in the Santa Ysabel (G3) on March 5, And Tell Me Nolies had an outstanding 2-year-old campaign, winning the Del Mar Debutante (G1) and the Chandelier Stakes (G2) before running eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Nov. 4.

Owned by Peter Redekop B.C., 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 1 1/8 miles on turf in the Providencia Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita 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 meet standings with 15 wins, had four winners on Sunday, and his two wins on Monday included a score in the Shoemaker Mile (G1) 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, Ancient Peace, a Canada-bred daughter of War Front out of the A.P. Indy mare Deceptive Vision, has a win on turf and one on dirt.