Santa Anita: Fashion Plate deals Streaming first defeat in Las Virgenes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Fashion Plate had yet to face winners, or go around two turns, but she cleared those hurdles on Saturday, and showed tenacity as well, holding off previously unbeaten Streaming to win the Grade 1, $300,500 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.

Fashion Plate ($11.40) set quick fractions and seemed vulnerable entering the lane, but she would not be denied. Under Gary Stevens, Fashion Plate dug in and prevailed by a half-length over Streaming. Arethusa was another three-quarters of a length back in third.

Taste Like Candy was fourth and was followed, in order, by Artemis, Saintly Joan, and Sushi Empire.

Fashion Plate set fractions of 23.19 seconds, :46.26, and 1:10.91 before completing one mile on the fast main track in 1:37.22.

“She didn’t get soft fractions,” remarked trainer Simon Callaghan.

Fashion Plate took three starts to defeat maidens, that victory coming in her most-recent start here on Dec. 29 when rolling to a 6 1/2-length victory going six furlongs. That was her first start on dirt after outings at both Del Mar and Hollywood Park.

“The dirt has brought about a lot of improvement,” Callaghan said, “but she’s also grown up mentally. She’s improved that way.”

Callaghan trains Fashion Plate, a daughter of Old Fashioned, for Arnold Zetcher and Michael Tabor. Zetcher said this is the only horse he has in partnership with Tabor, and one of two runners he has with Callaghan.

Stevens was riding Fashion Plate for the first time. Rafael Bejarano, aboard for the maiden win, opted to ride Taste Like Candy, who was second in two stakes in her last two starts, including the Hollywood Starlet, which was won by Streaming.

The Las Virgenes is a prep for the Santa Anita Oaks, as well as the Kentucky Oaks. Victory in the race was worth 50 points under the system used by Churchill Downs to determine eligibility to the May 2 Kentucky Oaks should the field have more than the maximum 14 runners.