Seaside Attraction Surprises in Oaks

Despite her growing reputation as a precocious rainy-day wonder, heavily favored Go for Wand ran aground Friday in the $241,400 Kentucky Oaks, as Seaside Attraction and Chris McCarron scored a three-length upset at odds of 8-1.

At first glance, the Oaks result represented an inexplicable 11 1/2-length turnaround from the April 10 Beaumont Stakes on a muddy track at Keeneland, when Go for Wand won by 8 1/2 lengths and Seaside Attraction lost a photo finish for second. But Randy Romero, who has ridden Go for Wand in each of her seven starts, shook his head and told trainer William Badgett that the race was a throw-out. An expensive throw-out.

“At no point did she handle the race track,” Romero said of the racing surface, which took nearly an inch of rain in the 12 hours before the Oaks. “She was just going through the motions.”

Seaside Attraction seemed to love every minute of the race, her first stakes victory and third in seven starts for owner William T. Young and trainer Wayne Lukas. She impressed McCarron, who did not plan to make a move until the far turn.

“I would have been content to sit third and wait,” McCarron said. “But she absolutely pulled me to the lead (on the backstretch).”

As part of an entry with third-place Bright Candles and Paper Money, Seaside Attraction returned $18.20. Her time of 1:52 4/5 was the slowest in nine modern runnings at 1 1/8 miles.

“I’m surprised the time was so slow,” said McCarron, “because I thought the track was really in good shape. This track probably dries out faster than any surface around.”