Warren's Showtime takes the easier road in Betty Grable Stakes
DEL MAR, Calif. – The 4-year-old filly Warren’s Showtime had the option of starting in Saturday’s Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at a mile on turf against a group of grass females from all over the country, or Sunday’s $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes for statebred fillies and mares.
Trainer Craig Lewis and owners Ben and Sally Warren opted for a start against the local group for the seven-time stakes winner.
“I think the Goldikova is a tougher race,” Lewis said on Thursday. “But I think she would have been competitive.”
The lineup in the Betty Grable Stakes at seven furlongs has much less depth than the field for the Goldikova. Warren’s Showtime drew the outside post in a field of six that could easily have five starters by race time. Trainer Mark Glatt said that Big Sweep, a two-time stakes winner in 2020, may be withdrawn in favor of an allowance race later this month.
Warren’s Showtime drew the outside post, one position away from her main rival in Bella Vita, who won the Spring Fever Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at six furlongs at Santa Anita in February.
Warren’s Showtime and Bella Vita finished first and fourth in the California Distaff Handicap on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Oct. 16. Warren’s Showtime closed between rivals from last of six to reach the front in the final sixteenth under Juan Hernandez.
“He knows her very well,” Lewis said of Hernandez.
Hernandez, who through Thursday had 26 stakes wins this year, has ridden Warren’s Showtime in her last nine starts, including to a second in the 2020 Betty Grable. Warren’s Showtime has finished in the first three in each of those races and has won two stakes in her last three starts.
Warren’s Showtime has won stakes on turf and dirt in her career.
“There’s not much this filly can’t do,” Lewis said. “She’s versatile and very consistent.”
Bella Vita, trained by Simon Callaghan, won an allowance race against open company at 6 1/2 furlongs here on Aug. 29 by a convincing 4 1/2 lengths. A repeat of that performance would be good enough to win the Betty Grable.
In the California Distaff, Bella Vita raced wide and was as close as a length from the front turning into the stretch before fading to lose by 3 1/2 lengths as the 11-10 favorite.
Warren’s Showtime and Bella Vita will dominate the betting in the Grable.
Fi Fi Pharoah, who drew the rail, won the Melair Stakes for 3-year-old statebred fillies in June, but is winless in her last four starts. Smoothlikebuttah, a former maiden claimer, was second in a slowly run allowance race for statebred fillies and mares at Santa Anita on Oct. 22.
Harper’s Gallop was third in the restricted Tranquility Lake Stakes at a mile here on Aug. 27 and a well-beaten fourth in the Dark Mirage Stakes for fillies and mares at Los Alamitos on Sept. 19.