Lady T Delivers in Attention-Grabbing Las Flores

The quirky Lady T  "looks at everything," said jockey Victor Espinoza, but on New York's Eve at Santa Anita Park, the Into Mischief   3-year-old filly had observers looking at her by rallying down the center of the track to win the $101,500 Las Flores Stakes (G3). 

Fifth early in the six-furlong race, as Doris Mae  and Manorelli  vied for the lead through fractions of :21.97 and :44.26, the Jerry and Tina Moss-owned winner kicked into gear on the turn and down the stretch, surging late under right-handed encouragement from her Hall of Fame rider. She won going away by 1 1/4 lengths over Manorelli, timed in 1:09.65 for the distance.

Espinoza won the Las Flores for the third time after previously capturing it in 2006 with Behaving Badly and in 2008 with Tiz Elemental.

Doris Mae weakened to finish behind runner-up Manorelli but held third. Favored Samurai Charm , who Saturday's race for fillies and mares as the only entrant with an existing stakes win, was an even-paced fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Springhouse Farm and Circular Rd Breeders, Lady T became the first stakes winner for her dam, the Malibu Moon  mare Red Carpet Miss . In June, Lady T had been second when routing in the Summertime Oaks (G2) to earn initial black-type after a maiden win in May.

"This is a great way to end the year, and this is a nice filly," said trainer John Shirreffs. "We really like this filly, and maybe we found out what she wants to do. We've tried her two turns and today, it looked like she did this very well.

"Yes, we'll keep her sprinting for now. Victor gave her a great ride, he's patient with her and saved the best for last."

This summer Lady T was unplaced in two graded stakes on turf, then second in a first-level allowance optional claimer on dirt Nov. 27 at Del Mar.

"I think the race set up better for her today," said Espinoza, who has been aboard for 10 of Lady T's 11 starts. "Having the outside post helped her a lot. She can be a little complicated, so things have to go her way or if not, then she doesn't perform as she should.

"She's a little funny because she looks at everything. She sees everything more than I do, or anyone else. Sometimes she has a bad habit of wanting to go out, and starts lugging out.  And when that happens, it is hard for me to control her. Today, from (post 7 of 8), I didn't have to do much with her, just let her run."

The winner, a $235,000 purchase by Michael Dorsey from the Paramount Sales consignment to the 2020 September Yearling Sale at Keeneland, improved her 11-race record to 2-6-0 and earnings to $229,700

Five of the dam's six foals have raced, with three victorious. The dam's only foal not yet to race is 2-year-old Rastani, a filly by Good Magic  .