Dream Tree Gallops to Victory in Las Virgenes

Phoenix Thoroughbreds' Dream Tree began her 2018 season the same way she ended 2017—with an easy score against an overmatched field.

Just like her first graded win Dec. 9 in the Starlet Stakes (G1) at Los Alamitos Race Course, the Uncle Mo  filly stalked the pace, swooped into contention around the quarter pole, and cruised away from her rivals in the stretch to take the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) Feb. 4 at Santa Anita Park.

Unlike her Los Alamitos run, however, jockey Drayden Van Dyke gave her a couple of cracks with the whip in upper stretch to keep her mind on her business and then geared her down to a gallop in the final sixteenth to win by 3 3/4 lengths.

"We've been working her in the mornings and it's worked out," Van Dyke said. "I've been able to get her to relax and finish well, so what else could you ask for?"

Off at 1-5 in a six-filly field, Dream Tree got an ideal stalking trip in third as Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Thirteen Squared set a pace of :23.22, :46.68, and 1:11.73 under light pressure from longshot She's No Drama. As the longshot faded harshly in the second turn, Thirteen Squared began to tire early in the stretch, and it became clear Dream Tree would not have a challenge in her run to the wire. She finished off the mile in 1:39.45.

"I just love the way she sat off those front-runners," Baffert said. "I know she has a lot of speed. I think she's getting better mentally and she's relaxing, and she really brought it at the end."

Exuberance closed from fifth to finish second, a half-length ahead of Steph Being Steph. Thirteen Squared came in fourth and was followed by She's No Drama and Holy Diver, to complete the order of finish.

Now undefeated in four starts, the filly bred in Kentucky by Mike and Pat Freeny, out of the Afleet Alex mare Afleet Maggi, now has $390,000 in earnings. She was a $750,000 purchase by Kerri Radcliffe out of the Fasig-Tipton Florida select 2-year-olds in training sale in March of 2017.

"I was finally able to take a deep breath when she was across the finish line," Radcliffe said. "Two furlongs from home, we knew. She's such a good filly, now four-for-four, and she just keeps improving."

Tom Ludt, vice president of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, said after the race that Dream Tree will point to the April 7 Santa Anita Oaks (G1).