Ol' Fashion Gal Upsets Jimmy Durante

Squeezing through a tight opening along the rail in mid-stretch, Bill and Vicki Poston's Ol' Fashion Gal prevailed over favored Rainha Da Bateria to upset the $151,500 Jimmy Durante Stakes (gr. IIIT) Nov. 29 at Del Mar .

 

Saving ground throughout under jockey Joe Talamo, 2-year-old filly Ol' Fashion Gal had to wait for pacesetter Backstreet Lisa to come off the rail just enough to allow her to squeeze past. The Mark Casse trainee took a narrow lead in the stretch and held off the late run from Rainha Da Bateria to prevail by a head at 21-1.

 

"She loves the turf," said Talamo, who has ridden Ol' Fashion Gal in all three of her races. "You can see that. Since they switched her over, she's 2-for-2. She's getting better with each race. I had a perfect trip today. I got over (to the rail) and saved ground all the way. Then there was a little opening on the rail; not a big one, but just big enough. She shot right through there.

 

"Mark is a great guy to ride for. He gives you a lot of confidence. He just says ride 'em like you know how, then he wishes you luck. You love to ride for a horseman like him."

 

The daughter of Sky Mesa   scored in her stakes debut in the Durante, which was the Miesque Stakes at Hollywood Park before added to the Del Mar schedule at the new fall meet this year.

 

"Joe rode her just great; he got a perfect trip," Casse said. "I thought this filly's first race was much better than it looked. The next time she got better and today she was even better."

 

After finishing 10th in her debut on the dirt at Santa Anita Park Sept. 28, Ol' Fashion Gal broke her maiden over Del Mar's turf course Nov. 13 before coming back in 16 days to prevail in the Jimmy Durante.

 

Rainha Da Bateria, who finished ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT), had to circle the pack while wide under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith—an overland route that likely cost her the race.

 

"I was there with the winner on turn," said Smith, who rode Rainha Da Bateria for the first time. "He (Joe Talamo) had the jump on me and he went inside. I was thinking about following him through, but I thought I'd have a better chance going outside and trying to out-kick him through the lane. (Talamo) saved the ground and got it done."

 

Ol' Fashion Gal covered the mile over Del Mar's turf course in 1:37.27 and returned $45.60 to win, $15.40 to place and $8 to show. Rainha Da Bateria paid $3.60 to place and $2.80 to show, while Don't Blame Me returned $6.20 to show.

 

Jaded Glory got up to be fourth, while Conquest Artura, Belle Et Bete, Bobbi Grace, Devil's Beauty, Backstreet Lisa, Paulina's Love, and Bennett Jean completed the order of finish.

 

Ol' Fashion Gal was bred in Kentucky by John C. Oxley out of the Horse Chestnut mare Little Hussy. She sold for $60,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale to Grassroots Training & Sales when consigned by Gainesway.