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Nootka Sound braves elements in going gate-to-wire to win G3 Soaring Softly

by Brian Bohl

Hat Creek Racing's Nootka Sound started strong and finished even better, going gate-to-wire to notch her first career stakes win in capturing the fifth running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Soaring Softly for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday, Preakness Day, at Belmont Park.

Originally carded as seven furlongs on the Widener turf, a driving rainstorm moved the race to the sloppy and sealed main track. Nootka Sound shrugged off the conditions, leading a five-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.61 seconds and the half in 45.75.

Out of the turn, Nootka Sound gained separation on even-money favorite Elevenses, who gave chase to the pacesetter from the break, before the Lonhro filly pulled away easily in the stretch, hitting the wire in 1:24.59 to win by four lengths.

"It didn't matter if it was turf or dirt today, I felt like she was going to handle the surface anyway," said jockey Dylan Davis. "When she came out of the gate she knew what she had to do. She settled pretty nice for me and didn't mind the horse just to her outside [Elevenses] and she knew what she had to do turning for home. She picked up another gear and got it done."

Nootka Sound won for the third time in five career starts and improved to 2-for-2 on dirt, where she won her debut in April 2017 at Keeneland before trainer Wesley Ward moved her to turf.

After running a disappointing 17th in the Windsor Castle last June at Royal Ascot, Nootka Sound received a freshening and returned to post a two-length score against allowance company on January 28 at Gulfstream Park before running second to Black Stetson in the Bridgetown on April 14 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

"I've ridden for Wesley [Ward] quite a bit for my apprenticeship so I had an idea how he likes his horses ridden coming in," Davis said. "He's a great trainer, knows how to start them and knows how to get them prepared coming in from the beginning. We used her speed to our advantage and it worked out with how the track is playing today."

In making her first appearance on Big Sandy, Nootka Sound went off at 4-1, paying $10.40 on a $2 win wager. She nearly doubled her career bankroll to $148,400.

Elevenses, trained by Jimmy Jerkens, finished 9 ¾-lengths clear of Strategic Dreams for second. March X Press and Brattata completed the order of finish.

Nootka Sound's stablemate, Mentality, was scratched, as was Mominou, Coffee Crush, and Africa.