Rags To Riches is sharp in winning Oaks

Whether or not trainer Todd Pletcher has the best 3-year-old male in the country is subject to debate, but he definitely has the top 3-year-old filly.

Remaining perfect in three starts in California, Rags To Riches, the 2-5 favorite, toyed with four rivals Sunday to win the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita.

A $1.9 million purchase at the Keeneland September sale in 2005, Rags To Riches, who is owned by Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor, won her second Grade I in a span of 29 days. In her first start against winners, she had taken the Las Virgenes on Feb. 10.

Breaking from the outside in a field reduced after longshots Quickandquietqueen and Slew O’Platinum were scratched, Rags To Riches was off the pace early under jockey Garrett Gomez, joined the leaders with ease on the turn, then, with a quick turn of foot, burst away and went on to a 5 1/2 -length victory. She ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.84.

Pletcher said Rags To Riches could start again before the Kentucky Oaks on May 4 at Churchill Downs and that she could face the boys for the first time. He didn’t indicate where she could surface before the Oaks, but there are plenty of possibilities, including the Lanes End on March 24 at Turfway Park, the Florida Derby a week later at Gulfstream Park or the Santa Anita Derby April 7.

“She is a lovely filly and push button to train,” Pletcher said. “She’s one of those special ones you get every so often. She had a pretty easy race today and it maybe opens up the option of running her against colts between now and the Oaks.”

Perhaps a big performance if she were to try males in her next race could lead to a start in the Kentucky Derby. “She will probably stick with the girls, but at the end of the day, you never know,” Tabor said.

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Miss Shop was dominant in the $200,000 Rampart Handicap at Gulfstream Park, winning the Grade II by 6 3/4 lengths. Round Pond, the 2-5 favorite making her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff last Nov. 4, was fourth. At Bay Meadows, Smokey Stover did the expected, taking the $95,625 Bay Meadows’ Breeders Cup Sprint by one length over Britt’s Jules.

bob.mieszerski@latimes.com

* TRIPLE CROWN RATINGS: D9