Fashion Plate may switch to turf at Del Mar

ARCADIA, Calif. – Fashion Plate, the winner of consecutive Grade 1 races at Santa Anita in February and April but unplaced in major stakes in Kentucky and New York in recent weeks, might be switched to turf for the Del Mar summer meeting, trainer Simon Callaghan said.

Fashion Plate finished 11th in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 2 and ninth in the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park on June 7. Callaghan said Fashion Plate will be in light training in the coming weeks and will have workouts on turf to see how she handles the surface. Fashion Plate, who races for Michael Tabor and Arnold Zetcher, has not raced on turf in her seven-race career, which includes three wins and earnings of $469,250.

“She’s sound and has no problems,” Callaghan said. “We’ll give her some time and regroup. There is some turf influence in her pedigree. We’ll consider that or freshen her for a fall campaign at Santa Anita.”

Fashion Plate is by the Unbridled’s Song stallion Old Fashioned. Fashion Plate won the Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita in February and the Santa Anita Oaks in April.

Callaghan said the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks, a Grade 1 race over 1 1/8 miles on turf Aug. 16, could be a goal for Fashion Plate during the summer.