Oaks News

Rags to Riches overwhelmed her competition in Sunday’s running of the Grade One, $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks, leaving her connections, owners Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith and trainer Todd Pletcher to contemplate if she should take on the colts in her next start.

The 5 ½ length margin of victory was the largest in the Oaks since Sharp Cat won by the same margin in 1997.  With this her second dominating Grade One win in a row, the April 7 Santa Anita Derby could be next on her agenda.

“The thought has to cross through your mind,” acknowledged Michael Tabor in the winner’s circle after the race.  “She’ll probably stick with the girls,” Tabor added, “but at the end of the day, you never know.”

“Well, when we first started out,” explained Pletcher, “the plan was the Las Virgenes (Feb. 10), the Santa Anita Oaks, and the Kentucky Oaks (May 4). But when you get a filly that’s bred like this – that obviously the further they go, the better she’s supposed to get – it makes you think about other possibilities.” 

The daughter of 1992 Horse of the Year A.P. Indy was purchase for $1.9 million at auction by Tabor and Smith.

  Bet down to 2-5 in the wagering, Rags to Riches paid $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10. Silver Shower, who defeated Cash Included by one length for the place with Alex Solis aboard, paid $4 and $2.80. Cash Included, ridden by Corey Nakatani, paid $2.60 to show in the field reduced to five by the late scratches of Quickandquietqueen and Slew o’Platinum.

The chestnut filly earned $180,000 on Sunday from her third win in four starts which brought her total to $360,100.

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