Las Virgenes Belongs to You

On his fourth consecutive weekend trip to California, jockey Jerry Bailey finally got it right.

Beaten with Siphonic, Squirtle Squirt and Lido Palace, all odds-on favorites in graded stakes the previous three weekends at Santa Anita, Bailey scored with 6-5 favorite You in the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes Sunday.

Despite a wide trip, the 3-year-old daughter of You and I turned the tables on Habibti, the 2-1 second choice, winning her second Grade I by a length in 1:364/5 for the mile.

Trained by Bobby Frankel for owner Ed Gann, who purchased the filly privately after her second career start last summer, You won for the fourth time in seven career outings in her first race of 2002.

“Well, I finally won one out here,” Bailey said. “I was kind of surprised to look out at the tote board and see she was favored. It was a good win for her.”

Frankel indicated You will make her next start in the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks on March 9 before she heads to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Oaks on May 3.

Habibti, who had beaten You by a head in the Hollywood Starlet on Dec. 16, could not have had a better trip Sunday, despite a slight bobble leaving the gate.

Looking for her third Grade I victory, the Tabasco Cat filly finished two lengths ahead of 14-1 longshot and pacesetter Tali’sluckybusride, who had also finished third behind the two big fillies in the Starlet.

Bob Mieszerski