SANTA ANITA : Lakeway Wins Las Virgenes

Minutes after Lakeway scored a three-length victory in Sunday’s $161,100 Las Virgenes Stakes, her trainer, Gary Jones, saw Don Warren under the stands at Santa Anita.

“Hey, all she did was beat a maiden,” said Warren, who trains Fancy ‘n Fabulous, the runner-up in the Las Virgenes.

Both Warren and Jones had a laugh. Fancy ‘n Fabulous is a maiden, but that didn’t detract from the performance by the undefeated Lakeway, who in only three races has become as good a filly as Jones has ever trained.

“She’s got a lot of gears, like all the good horses have,” said Jones, after watching the daughter of Seattle Slew and Milliardaire, an Alydar mare, defeat seven opponents in the one-mile Las Virgenes. Fancy ‘n Fabulous, who has earned $82,650 despite being winless in six starts, finished a length ahead of Princess Mitterand, who was the 2-1 second choice behind the odds-on Lakeway.

Princess Mitterand, winner of the Santa Ysabel on Jan. 26, overtook the pacesetter, Musical Girl, as the field approached the far turn, but Lakeway and Kent Desormeaux were also moving into contention from the outside. Lakeway surged past Princess Mitterand at the top of the stretch and completed the distance in 1:35 on a track that was listed as good.

Lakeway, paying $3.80, earned $93,600 for her owner and breeder, oilman Mike Rutherford, who watched the race at an off-track betting facility in Austin, Tex. Rutherford and Jones were on the phone several times Sunday, trying to decide whether to run on an off track, and Lakeway got the final green light after the third race on the card.

The plan for Lakeway is to run in the Santa Anita Oaks on March 13, followed by the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 6.

“We’re not thinking about running against the boys right now,” Jones said. “She’s only had three races, and she’s still green. I’d just as soon win the Kentucky Oaks as the Kentucky Derby.”