Margarita Girl notches stakes-debut win with Las Flores
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ARCADIA, Calif. - For an older filly, Margarita Girl had a tricky jump in class to Sunday’s Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita.
In her first start since a maiden-race win at Del Mar last August, Margarita Girl ($10.40) rallied from third to win her stakes debut in the $100,500 Las Flores Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs.
Trainer Mark Glatt said he considered a first-level allowance race for Margarita Girl, but considered the Las Flores Stakes a suitable option.
“I didn’t think the race was coming up particularly tough,” he said.
Margarita Girl proved Glatt’s point. Ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Margarita Girl won by 1 3/4 lengths over 14-1 No Bad Beats, who finished a game second. The third choice in the betting, Margarita Girl was timed in 1:09.19 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 87.
Gonzalez had Margarita Girl in third for the first five furlongs, chasing 9-5 Thermal, who set a quick pace of 21.74 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.11 for a half-mile.
No Bad Beats, who was second early, passed Thermal in early stretch and led by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining. Margarita Girl trailed No Bad Beats inside the final furlong and gradually wore her down.
“I felt really confident,” Gonzalez said. “It set up perfectly. They went pretty quick.”
No Bad Beats finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of 9-1 Ooty, who closed from last of six. Thermal faded to finish fourth, followed by Magnificat and Donttellourwives.
Magnificat, the 11-10 favorite, never posed a threat.
Margarita Girl, a 4-year-old filly by Twirling Candy, needed six races to beat maidens. Last July at Del Mar, Margarita Girl finished second in a maiden race behind Usha, who won the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita on Dec. 28.
Bought for $575,000 at the 2024 March Ocala Breeders Sale of 2-year-olds in-training, Margarita Girl has never finished worse than third. She has earned $181,680 for owners Rancho Temescal and Saints and Sinners Stable.
“She was running against tough fillies,” Gonzalez said.
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