Blinkers give boost to Light Fingers

SAN MATEO, Calif. - Light Fingers has never quite lived up to expectations, but that may be changing.

Claimed for $25,000 at Hollywood Park on July 12, the 4-year-old filly came north and scored a game victory in her second start for new trainer Sergio Ledesma.

She will step up off that victory over $40,000 starter-allowance foes in a first-level allowance Monday over 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf.

"My client [Rick Goldfarb] picked her out," Ledesma said. "I watched her when she ran up here last spring. When she went down south and was entered for $25,000, he said to claim her."

Light Fingers ran sixth in her first start for Ledesma on Aug. 18, passing some runners late while never seriously threatening in starter allowance company at Monday's distance. She didn't seem eager to run during that race.

"We needed to try something different," he said. "We needed to get her a little more aggressive."

Ledesma and his exercise rider decided to work the filly with blinkers, and she seemed to work better. He added them for her last race, and she responded with a wire-to-wire victory, rating nicely, opening up in the lane, and then holding on to win by a head under apprentice Jose Luis Martinez Campos.

She has come back with a pair of solid half-mile drills, one a bullet, since her victory.

"She's not much to look at, but I think she runs better on the turf," Ledesma said after she scored her first victory in seven grass starts.

Ledesma gave Campos credit for the victory.

"I told him to play the break," Ledesma said. "He got away well and took the lead."

Although she won wire-to-wire, Light Fingers may end up in a stalking role Monday. The idea doesn't bother Ledesma, who believes the filly can sit just about any place early and still prove competitive in the lane.

Britney Heat, who has won two straight following a seven-week layoff, seems the likely candidate to set the pace.

Event of Siam, stretching out and trying turf for the first time after a 13-month layoff, showed speed sprinting last year.