Monrovia: In final start, Leggs Galore faces up-and-coming stablemate Amy C
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ARCADIA, Calif. – The torch gets passed from one outstanding female turf sprinter to another Saturday at Santa Anita. Or maybe the transfer already occurred.
Leggs Galore, a six-time stakes winner owned by her breeder, Jack Sims, and trained by Phil D’Amato, makes the final start of her career Saturday in the Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes. Leggs Galore, a 6-year-old, will be bred to Into Mischief.
The retirement of a top runner such as Leggs Galore normally leaves a void. But while the career of Leggs Galore is winding down, D’Amato-trained stablemate Amy C is winding up. Unbeaten in three starts on the hill, Amy C seeks her third hillside stakes win Saturday in the Monrovia, race 10 of 12.
An exceptionally deep field entered the $200,000 Monrovia. The filly-mare turf sprint includes Grade 1-placed sprinter Awake At Midnyte; Grade 2 winner Elm Drive; Grade 3 winner Canoodling; graded-placed Stellar Noir, Kirstenbosch, and Freedom Flyer; restricted stakes winner Big Summer; sharp allowance filly Tom’s Beauty; and One Silk Stocking.
While pick six bettors need deep coverage chasing the mandatory payout, the story of the Monrovia centers on the top D’Amato runners. Amy C may have passed her stablemate in terms of current ability, but she has a way to go match the career achievements of Leggs Galore.
“She’s been a great addition to our barn for the last few years,” D’Amato said of Leggs Galore. “She’s one of those fillies that always gives you everything she has. She likes to show her early speed and keep carrying it.”
After losing her first two starts in spring 2020, D’Amato moved Leggs Galore to turf. The rest is history. She won nine of her next 16, earned $694,548, and twice carried her speed two turns, including a Grade 2 victory one year ago. Last summer, Leggs Galore showed signs of tailing off. She lost her final three starts as the favorite.
“She had a long season, we shipped her to Belmont and back, and maybe that took a little bit of the steam out of her,” D’Amato said. “She will benefit from a nice freshening; she likes to run her best races fresh. Hopefully, we send her off the right way.”
Not if her stablemate shows up. Amy C won a hillside allowance last spring, a hillside stakes last fall, and a hillside Grade 3 this winter.
“She’s found her niche,” D’Amato said. “The six-and-a-half configuration of the hill sets her up perfectly for her tactical speed and nice late kick.”
Awake At Midnyte shortens to her preferred one-turn distance, and though she spent most of her career running on dirt, she finished second in a Grade 3 turf route as a juvenile.
Big Summer finished second by a neck to Freedom Flyer in a restricted stakes on the hill last out, but Big Summer was best considering the slow pace and wide trip.
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