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Golden State Series: Irish O’Brien Stakes
CALIFORNIA PERFECTION
SHE’S GOT LEGGS; SHE KNOWS HOW TO USE THEM
BY TRACY GANTZ
Bayern doesn’t stand in California, but you wouldn’t know it from the results of the $101,000 Irish O’Brien Stakes at Santa Anita March 14. Like all other Golden State Series events, the Irish O’Brien is open to California-breds and California-sired runners. Leggs Galore and Bella Vita, both Cal-bred daughters of Bayern, ran one-two.
Te Cal-bred breed-back rule is designed to bring good broodmares into the state. California breeders can go to Kentucky mixed sales and buy an in-foal mare, knowing that if they bring the mare to California to foal and breed her back to a California stallion, that foal will be eligible for Cal-bred status. Te books of many California stallions have benefted from the rule.
William “Jack” Sims purchased the Indian Charlie mare Cashing Tickets for $55,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale. She was carrying Leggs Galore at the time and was bred back to California stallion Stormberg.
Kaleem Shah raced Bayern, and so he naturally notices when good prospects by the stallion come up for sale. Shah purchased Bella Vita for $400,000 at the 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sales’ spring 2-yearold sale. Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings bred Bella Vita from the Storm Cat mare Queenie Cat. Bella Vita was foaled at BG Toroughbreds in Hemet, and Queenie Cat was bred back to California stallion Misremembered.
While Bella Vita was raised and saleprepped in Kentucky and Florida, Sims raised Leggs Galore at his home in Evanston, Wyo. He put her into training with Phil D’Amato. After two unplaced eforts at Oaklawn Park, Leggs Galore is undefeated in her native state.
Leggs Galore broke her maiden at Del Mar last August and then won twice in allowance optional claiming company, once at Del Mar and once at Santa Anita. In her frst 2021 start, she became a stakes winner, scoring in the $150,000 Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf Sprint Stakes Presented by John Deere Jan. 16.
Bella Vita became a stakes winner in the $101,000 Spring Fever Stakes Feb. 21, having placed in the China Doll and Evening Jewel stakes last year. She and Leggs Galore frst met in the Irish O’Brien, conducted at six furlongs on the turf.
Leggs Galore and regular rider Ricardo Gonzalez were favored at 13-10 over Bella Vita and jockey Flavien Prat at 17-10. D’Amato had told Gonzalez that Leggs Galore would rate, but when she broke alertly on top, “there was only one way— just keep on going,” Gonzalez said.
Bella Vita stalked in third, but Leggs Galore’s fight to the front would not be denied. Leggs Galore led at every call, defeating Bella Vita by 21⁄4 lengths in 1:08.17. Sadie Bluegrass fnished third.
“I gave Ricky the option,” D’Amato said about race tactics. “I just told him to play the break. If they wanted to come get her, she could rate—she’s done it before. But she broke like a rocket and there was no looking back.”
D’Amato paid Leggs Galore a high compliment when he said that she reminds him of Enola Gray. D’Amato trained that champion Cal-bred for owner/breeder Nick Alexander. Enola Gray won the 2017 Irish O’Brien.
PHOTO CREDIT
Daughters of Santa Anita’s 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Bayern, Leggs Galore, center, and Bella Vita, right, form a Cal-bred exacta in the Irish O’Brien.
