Leggs Galore faces pace challenge in Wilshire
Since August, the speedy filly Leggs Galore has won 6 of 7 starts, all on turf. She won her debut on the surface against maidens at Del Mar last summer, and has won three stakes for California-bred fillies and mares at Santa Anita this year.
A 4-year-old, Leggs Galore is in peak form. She starts in a graded stakes for the first time in Sunday’s Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.
The distance suits Leggs Galore, who led throughout the $98,000 Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at a mile on May 9. The pace scenario in the $100,000 Wilshire Stakes may be a different matter.
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In the four-runner Fran’s Valentine, Leggs Galore set a modest pace of 23 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.77 for a half-mile, leading by two lengths in her first start at a mile. She finished three-quarters of a length in front of Warren’s Showtime, who starts in the Wilshire.
In the Wilshire, Gidgettta and Quiet Secretary could pressure Leggs Galore early. Leggs Galore will be ridden by Ricardo Gonzalez, and will be prominent from the start.
“The worst thing you can do is change styles,” D’Amato said on Friday. “This is what this filly likes to do and she is successful. She likes to be free-running and do her thing.
“There is a lot more speed. Our filly is one that needs to go. Whether there is speed in there or not, that is what we have to do.”
Leggs Galore is one of five stakes winners in the Wilshire field, along with Brooke, Ippodamia’s Girl, Stela Star, and Warren’s Showtime.
Brooke won two stakes in Chile in 2019 and has her second start in the United States in the Wilshire. Brooke was fourth in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes in January. She was transferred earlier this year from trainer Simon Callaghan to Michael McCarthy.
Warren’s Showtime won the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf at Santa Anita last October, but is winless in six subsequent starts, all stakes.
In four starts this year, Warren’s Showtime has been second or third, finishing behind winners trained by D’Amato. In the Fran’s Valentine, Warren’s Showtime stumbled at the start and trailed by four lengths midway on the backstretch.
“It threw us out of our strategy,” trainer Craig Lewis said. “We wanted to lay closer. The race was void of speed.”
Warren’s Showtime was ridden in the Fran’s Valentine by Juan Hernandez, and they steadily made progress on Leggs Galore. Hernandez is aboard Warren’s Showtime on Sunday, and they could benefit if the pace is quick.
“It looks like there will be some heat on Sunday,” Lewis said.
Warren’s Showtime has won 6 of 19 starts and earned $637,431, by far the most of the eight fillies and mares in the Wilshire.
“She fires every time,” Lewis said. “She’s very tough, very durable. She’s all racehorse.”