Fillies the fleetest in two stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis

The fillies outdid the colts, at least in terms of raw time, in a pair of stakes races for Indiana-bred 3-year-olds on Wednesday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Climber won the $200,000 First Lady Stakes, restricted to fillies, by more than 5 1/2 lengths, turning back a run from favored Louder Than Words while running one mile on a fast dirt track in 1:38.20. A race later, Latigo, an 8-1 shot, came from just off the pace and won the $250,000 Governor’s Stakes by 2 1/2 lengths over Mr. Chaos, clocking 1:39.26 for the mile.

Latigo’s winning time came off a half-mile split of 47.77, while Climber tracked a 48.77-second half-mile, so the filly came home far faster than the gelding.

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Climber, who paid $7.80 as the second choice, was perfectly positioned under Manny Esquivel about two paths off the fence while racing in closest attendance to pacesetting Poetic Verse. Climber took over without being asked around the far turn as Louder Than Words made a sustained bid, but it was Climber who had more in the tank for the stretch run, pulling away for an easy win, her second this season in a six-figure, restricted dirt-route stakes. Habuiah finished a distant third in a field of 10.

Genaro Garcia trains Climber for Bruce Murphy and Southwest Racing Stable. The filly, by Divining Rod out of Gazeley, by First Defence, was bred by Dawn Martin.

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Latigo ($18), meanwhile, had been beaten nearly 10 lengths in his lone dirt-route start, but he was much better Wednesday while odds-on favorite Mowins did little running. Mowins, coming out of a respectable performance in the Indiana Derby, was fractious in the gate, leapt at the start, and never reached contention. Latigo, breaking from post 1 under Joseph Ramos, was in contention from the beginning. Trapped inside around the first turn as two other horses volleyed for the lead, Latigo held his position, put away the other speed on the far turn, and never faced a challenge in the homestretch. Mr Chaos finished second, 3 1/2 lengths in front of third-place Cibolo in a field of 10.

Randy Klopp trains Latigo, a son of Jimmy Creed and the El Corredor mare Steel Courage. Bred by Deann Baer and Greg Baer, Latigo, who won for the fourth time in six races, is co-owned by Klopp and Spiess Stable.