by Ron Parker

J. Paul Reddam’s Mistical Plan scored by the slimmest of margins on Saturday in the $250,000 Sunshine Millions Oaks at Santa Anita Park.

The three-year-old Game Plan filly, ridden by David Flores for the first time, was forwardly placed in most of her previous races, but Flores settled her into eighth place in the early running of the six-furlong contest for California- and Florida-bred three-year-old fillies. Tiz Elemental surged to the front in early stretch while Mistical Plan steadily closed the gap to nail that opponent by a nose at the wire.

“Around the turn I was trying to follow [Tiz Elemental], and at the three-sixteenths [pole] it opened up a little bit at the rail and we got through,” Flores said. “It was close, but I thought we won it.”

It was the second stakes win for Mistical Plan, who annexed the 2006 Cover Gal Stakes at Santa Anita for trainer Doug O’Neill. She placed twice in three subsequent starts in graded stakes races.

“I thought coming off two route races might dull her speed a little bit,” O’Neill said. “David [Flores] just did a great job of staying relaxed, not panicking, and once the hole opened up, she got through.

“I went from like, ‘Get third, get third,’ to ‘get second, get second,’ to ‘omygosh, she might get up.’ I wasn’t sure she got the bob.”

Bred by Carol Anderson, Mistical Plan improved to three wins from seven starts. She is out of the winning Bel Bolide mare Mistical Bel.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer