OAK TREE : Run Softly Hits Hard in Volante

As far as Laffit Pincay Jr. and Chris Antley are concerned, Corey Nakatani needn’t hurry back. Pincay and Antley each inherited stakes winners at Santa Anita during the weekend while the Oak Tree meet’s leading jockey was sidelined because of a sore shoulder.

Taking over for Nakatani on Sunday, Pincay rode Run Softly to victory in the $109,800 Volante Handicap. The day before, Antley took over for Nakatani and won with Newton’s Law in the $82,500 Russell Handicap.

Nakatani rode 22 winners through the first 13 days of the Oak Tree meet, but was thrown and injured while working Nonproductiveasset on Friday, his 24th birthday. Nakatani, who still holds a seven-victory lead over Eddie Delahoussaye, plans to ride Wednesday.

Run Softly, a British-raced colt, rallied from near the rear of the eight-horse field to beat Alphabet Soup by a neck, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:49 4/5.