Santa Anita: Wishing Gate's versatility gives her edge in Autumn Miss

[bc_video_id:308219:]ARCADIA, Calif. – Wishing Gate, who will start favored in Saturday’s $100,000 Autumn Miss Stakes at Santa Anita, is not a one-dimensional closer, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens says.

“She’s got a nice burst,” Stevens said. “You see something happen in a race sometimes, and you say, ‘Uh, oh.’ With her, you don’t have to worry about her.”

That gives Stevens confidence Wishing Gate can adapt to any situation that arises in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss, run over a mile on turf for 3-year-old fillies. The race drew 13 runners, but will have a safety limit of 11 starters since the temporary rails will be set 15 feet from the permanent position.

The winner of the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap over a mile on turf at Del Mar in July, Wishing Gate is one of seven stakes winners entered, joined by Charlie Em, Flashy Ways, Ighraa, Miss Empire, Need You Now, and Oscar Party.

Ighraa, a stakes winner at Longchamp in France in April, is on the also-eligible list, along with Becky Lou.

Wishing Gate, by Indian Charlie, has won 3 of 9 starts and earned $245,344, all for owner Glen Hill Farm and trainer Tom Proctor. Stevens was aboard for the win in the San Clemente Handicap, but rode at Arlington Park on Aug. 17 when Garrett Gomez rode Wishing Gate to a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.

Stevens says Wishing Gate is a filly that can race as a stalker or from farther back in a field.

“She doesn’t have a particular style,” he said. “She adapts well to situations in the race.”

Wishing Gate drew post 10 and is likely to race in midpack. Caraquista and Miss Empire, fourth and fifth in the restricted Swingtime Stakes over a mile on turf here Oct. 5, could be part of the pace. Trainer Mike Mitchell said that Need You Now, who had the early lead in the Del Mar Oaks before fading to finish sixth, will not be in front.

“She’s better if you take a hold of her,” Mitchell said. “She ran off in her race. I wasn’t the speed.”

An Irish-bred filly by the Green Desert stallion Kheleyf, Need You Now has won two stakes – the Radley Stakes at Newbury, England, last October, and the Le Cle Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park in July.

Mitchell said he was encouraged by Need You Now’s five-furlong workout in 58.60 seconds on Oct. 19.

Two fillies from the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf are part of the field – Flashy Ways, who was 11th, and Oscar Party, who was last of 14.

Flashy Ways has not raced since finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes on turf in April. Oscar Party, purchased for $510,000 by Deron Pearson at the paddock sale at Del Mar in July, was second in the Grade 2 Indiana Oaks at Indiana Downs on Oct. 5.

Aside from Wishing Gate and Need You Now, two other fillies in the Autumn Miss ran in the Del Mar Oaks – Charlie Em, who was seventh, and Ighraa, last of 10.

Ighraa made her U.S. debut in that race, days after arriving from Europe. But a lack of prize money earned in graded stakes has left Ighraa on the also-eligible list for Saturday’s race. That has left trainer Simon Callaghan hopeful that she can draw in and erase the disappointment of the Del Mar Oaks.

“She’s better than that,” Callaghan said. “It’s definitely the right race for her. She’ll certainly give a better performance than at Del Mar.”