Ol’ Fashion Gal was sent off at 21-1 in Saturday’s Grade 3, $151,500
Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar, but thanks to a well-timed ride from Joe
Talamo the juvenile miss managed to hold 7-5 favorite Rainha da Bateria by a
neck to take her stakes debut.
The Sky Mesa filly rewarded her backers with a win payout of $45.60, and
rewarded owners Bill and Vicki Poston by bumping her career earnings to
$123,850.
Talamo kept Ol’ Fashion Gal in a ground-saving spot on the rail just behind
Backstreet Lisa as that one set splits of :23, :48 1/5 and 1:12 4/5. Devil’s
Beauty was tracking outside of the leader in second.
Backstreet Lisa came off the inside while rounding the turn, opening up a
seam that Talamo didn’t hesitate to send Ol’ Fashion Gal right through. The
chestnut filly grabbed a short lead and gamely held on as Rainha da Bateria came
powering down the stretch four wide to just miss.
“I had a perfect trip today,” Talamo said. “I got over (to the rail) and
saved ground all the way. Then there was a little opening on the rail; not a big
one, but just big enough. She shot right through there. (Trainer) Mark (Casse)
is a great guy to ride for. He gives you a lot of confidence. He just says ride
’em like you know how, then he wishes you luck. You love to ride for a horseman
like him.”
“I was there with
the winner on the turn,” said Mike Smith, who piloted Rainha da Bateria. “(Talamo) had the jump on me
and he went inside. I was thinking about following him through, but I thought
I’d have a better chance going outside and trying to outkick him through the
lane. He saved the ground and got it done.”
Ol’ Fashion Gal stopped the clock for a mile on the firm turf in 1:37 while
making her stakes bow in the Jimmy Durante, formerly known as the Miesque
Stakes. The Mark Casse-trained filly just broke her maiden November 13 in her
second try over the course after running 10th in her career debut on Santa
Anita’s dirt in late September. Her line now stands at 3-2-0-0.
“She loves the turf.
You can see that. Since they switched her over, she’s two for two. She’s getting
better with each race,” Talamo noted.
Bred in Kentucky by John C. Oxley, Ol’ Fashion Gal sold for $60,000 as a
Keeneland September yearling. She is out of the Grade 3-placed Horse Chestnut
mare Little Hussy, making her a full sister to stakes victress Spirited Miss.
The duo’s third dam is Long Legend, who is known for producing multiple Grade
3-scoring leading sire Mr. Greeley as well as for being the third dam of
Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion Street Sense.
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com