Lady T uses late surge to win Las Flores Handicap

ARCADIA, Calif. - Aside from a muddy left boot and several flecks of dirt on his shoulders, jockey Victor Espinoza looked unscathed after he rode Lady T to a come-from-behind win in Saturday’s Grade 3 Las Flores Handicap for fillies and mares at Santa Anita.

A wide trip, and a late rally, propelled Lady T toward the front in the final furlong, and made for more attractive post-race photos for a relatively clean Espinoza on a rainy afternoon at Santa Anita.

“I didn’t want to get dirty, especially in these conditions,” Espinoza said with a smile. “I let her run her race.”

Lady T ($6.80) closed from fifth to win the $101,500, Las Flores Handicap by 1 1/4 lengths for her first stakes win in her sixth appearance in such a race for owners Jerry and Tina Moss and trainer John Shirreffs.

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Lady T was timed in 1:09.65 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 77. The track was listed as fast despite light rain through the afternoon.

Doris Mae (9-1) and Manorelli (26-1) dueled through early fractions of 21.97 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.26 for a half-mile before Manorelli emerged with a brief lead in the stretch. Manorelli was unable to repel the challenge from Lady T, but finished a half-length in front of Doris Mae.

Samurai Charm finished fourth, followed by Lexington Humor, Violent Runner, Anacapa and Classical Romance.

Samurai Charm was the 6-5 favorite, but had a tardy start and was never a threat to the leaders. Jockey Flavien Prat said Samurai Charm struggled with the conditions.

“I never traveled like I was going to win,” Prat said. “She broke a little flat-footed.”

Lady T, a 3-year-old filly by Into Mischief, was second in the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on dirt here last June before she sustained losses in two stakes on turf at Del Mar during the summer, finishing fourth in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at a mile in July, and 12th in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August.

Lady T did not race again until Thanksgiving weekend, when she finished second in an allowance race at six furlongs at Del Mar, overcoming a wide trip to miss by a nose. That narrow loss and a win in the Las Flores has left Espinoza with the impression Lady T can show further improvement in 2023.

“I think she’ll go farther,” he said. “I still don’t think we’ve seen her best.”

Lady T has won 2 of 11 starts and earned $229,700. She was purchased for $235,000 as a yearling.

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