GRADE 1 LAS VIRGENES

STRETCHING out over a mile for the first time, Callback led the field from start to finish to win the $300,000 Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita Park for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

The half-length score with Martin Garcia aboard was the first stakes win for Spendthrift Farm’s daughter of Street Sense. Defeating eight other three-year-old fillies in the one-mile test, the lightly raced Callback won at odds of 5/2 over a fast track.

Baffert, earning his fourth victory in the Las Virgenes, took blinkers off Callback for the first time in four starts. The bay filly was coming off a runner-up finish to begin the year on January 3rd in the six and a half furlong Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes in her stakes debut.

Callback defeated a trio of Jerry Hollendorfer fillies, with Light The City second, Achiever’s Legacy third, and Majestic Presence fourth. Darley stallion Street Sense sired both the winner and runner-up.

The most expensive filly in the field, the fast-developing Callback was acquired by Spendthrift owner B. Wayne Hughes for $375,000 from the Irish owned and operated Paramount Sales consignment at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale.

Vincent Colbert bred Callback in Kentucky out of the Forest Wildcat mare Quickest, a half sister to Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver and grade 3 winner Brethren.

Spendthrift won the Las Virgenes for the second time in three years following two-time champion Beholder in 2013.

“We’ve always been pretty high on her,” commented Baffert post-race. “You train them for two turns; I knew (Callback) was going to be forwardly placed and she worked really well coming into it. I thought her last race was really good.” Baffert said the $400,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 4th would definitely be considered for Callback’s next start.