Venetian Harbor Romps by 9 1/4 Lengths in Las Virgenes
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Venetian Harbor handily wins the Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita Park
On a Feb. 8 afternoon in which heavily favored Got Stormy disappointed with a fourth in the Lambholm South Endeavour Stakes (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs, Venetian Harbor turned in the kind of performance expected from backers of a 1-5 choice, recording a 9 1/4-length victory in the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
A popular choice after a maiden race in which she sizzled 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.60, Venetian Harbor flashed that blazing speed early in the one-mile Las Virgenes, her first route. She busted out on top and dashed away to a six-length lead through the first turn with an opening quarter-mile in :23.20.
Perhaps a bit overeager to that stage under Flavien Prat, the Munnings filly settled as she raced down the backstretch, covering a half-mile in :46.72 and three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.74. As she relaxed, a couple of rivals closed to within a length of her—but it was all a tease. Cut loose at the head of the stretch, she spurted away from her four rivals to win easily, eased up by Prat over the final sixteenth.
“We got a breather around the (far) turn, she grabbed the bit and really ran well from there,” he said.
Prat won the Las Virgenes for the second straight year after taking it in 2019 with the Simon Callaghan-trained Bellafina.
The winner raced a mile in 1:37.51, returning just $2.60 for a $2 win wager.
“I am very happy that she got the two turns; that was a little bit of a concern today," said winning trainer Richard Baltas. "She had never been two turns, and this is a tiring track."
Bob Baffert trainees Gingham and Stellar Sound settled for second and third, respectively. Gingham, an allowance winner at Santa Anita Jan. 3, rallied from fourth to outfinish her pace-chasing stablemate by 2 1/4 lengths and earn her first stakes placing. Stellar Sound recorded her second stakes placing after a third in the Nov. 10 Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar.
Go Big Blue Nation and Cholula Lips completed the order of finish in a strung-out field that lacked Bast or Donna Veloce, two of the more talented 3-year-old fillies in California.
Bred in Kentucky By Colts Neck Stables out of the Street Cry mare Sounds of the City, Venetian Harbor was a $110,000 purchase by Jesse Hoppel, agent, at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Ashview Farm consignment. Sent through last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, she fell short of her reserve on a final bid of $205,000. She now races for Ciaglia Racing, Dominic Savides, and River Oak Farm.
Venetian Harbor trains at San Luis Rey Training Center under quiet, off-track conditions, but should she continue to rise within the 3-year-old filly ranks to warrant a test in the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, she may have to take her show on the road. She earned 10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks in winning the Las Virgenes, enough to rank 10th on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard at the close of Saturday's action.
The $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) April 4 in the most prestigious remaining steppingstone on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks for West Coast-based 3-year-old fillies.