Raydelz Stable's homebred Soothsay looked to have little chance of winning Wednesday evening's Grade 3 Indiana Oaks at Indiana Grand after hopping in the air at the start and spotting the field several lengths, but the daughter of Distorted Humor gained ground into the far turn and rallied relentlessly down the stretch under Flavien Prat to put her neck in front at the finish and capture the winner's share of the $200,000 purse in the race for 3-year-old fillies.
Shipped to the Shelbyville, Ind., track from her home base at Santa Anita in Southern California by Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, Soothsay rallied past all eight of her rivals in the final half mile, winning by a neck over 40-1 outsider Moon Swag and local rider Deshawn Parker, with another California shipper, Lady Aces, finishing third under Umberto Rispoli, just a head behind the runner-up. They were followed across the wire by Marion Francis, Lovely Ride, 2-1 favorite Will's Secret, Sweet Pearl, Malloy and Li'l Tootsie.
Soothsay, produced from the Bernardini mare, Spellbound – herself a Grade 2 winner for Mandella – was winning for the third time in four starts. She ran the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.36 and paid $8 to win.
Lovely Ride assumed command shortly after the start of the Indiana Oaks under Gabriel Saez. She went the opening quarter mile in :24.71 and the half in :48.88 under pressure from Marion Francis and jockey Florent Geroux. Approaching the far turn, after Lovely Ride clicked off six furlongs 1:12.44, Prat began asking Soothsay to pick it up, and she willingly passed several horses around the final turn.
Heading into the stretch, Moon Swag, who saved ground just behind the top pair for much of the way, swung outside and moved toward the lead, assuming command at the eighth pole. Lovely Ride and Marion Francis fought back briefly, but the danger was coming from the outside as Soothsay was in high gear. The bay filly overtook Moon Swag in deep stretch as Lady Aces rallied alongside the winner late to finish just a head behind the runner-up.
Soothsay won her first two starts, taking a maiden sprint at Santa Anita on Feb. 26, then stretching out to win the G2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3. That was followed on May 30 by a second-place finish as the 4-5 favorite behind Crazy Beautiful, who came back last week to win the G3 Delaware Oaks.
Soothsay (no. 2) did not get off to a good start in the Indiana Oaks
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