Rags to Riches showed she was much the best in the Las Virgenes (Benoit Photo)

Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith's RAGS TO RICHES (A.P. Indy) lost ground for the entirety of Saturday's $250,000 Las Virgenes S. (G1), a one-mile event at Santa Anita, but the talented three-year-old filly overcame her wide trip with an impossible late stretch run to record a three-quarters of a length win under Garrett Gomez. Breaking to the right from her outtermost post, the Michael McCarthy trainee was parked five wide into the first turn and remained four wide through the opening six furlongs, as Baroness Thatcher (Johannesburg) set fractions of :23 1/5 and :47 2/5. As the field turned for home, Gomez asked his filly for run and she responded, circling at least five wide and getting by a brave Baroness Thatcher late.

"When I first turned for home," Gomez said, "she kind of pinned her ears at me when I hit her, and I'm like, 'C'mon momma,' because I know she's got more there. I hit her once or twice left-handed and she dropped, and inside the sixteenth pole is when she finally leveled off and went to running. She overcame a lot today, and she's not very seasoned. I have high hopes for her."

The winner, who was exiting a sharp maiden tally, finished the race in 1:37 4/5 and paid $7.40, $4.80 and $3.40 as the 5-2 favorite. Baroness Thatcher, off at 9-1, ran too good to lose in here but had to settle for second, paying $9.60 and $6.80 while completing the $33.60 exacta ($1). Runway Rosie (Include) made up ground late to gain third, another two lengths back. The 11-1 shot was worth $6 and finished off the $257 trifecta ($1). Cash Included (Include) was prominent early but lacked a solid late punch, sitting on the bottom of the $1,079 superfecta ($1) as the 7-2 second choice. Swiss Diva (Swiss Yodeler) was next and followed by Quick Little Miss (Freud), Romance Is Diane (In Excess [Ire]) and Jump On In (Jump Start). Slew O' Platinum (Stephen Got Even) was scratched.

Bred in Kentucky by Skara Glen Stables, the winner is out of Grade 2 heroine Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister), who finished second in the 1999 Acorn S. (G1) and third in the Mother Goose S. (G1), earning $250,920 from an 8-2-4-2 mark. The 11-year-old mare is out of 1982 Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Blush with Pride (Blushing Groom [Fr]), making her a full sister to Group 3 victor Turnberry Isle (Ire) (Deputy Minister) and a half-sister to Group 2 heroine and Group 1 runner-up Smolensk (Danzig) as well as Group 1 runner-up Maryinsky (Ire) (Sadler's Wells). This is the female family of multiple classic winner El Gran Senor (Northern Dancer), who was a champion in England and Ireland; English and Irish champion Try My Best (Northern Dancer); English, French and Irish highweight Xaar (Zafonic); and Spinning World (Nureyev), who captured the 1997 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) and was highweighted in both France and Ireland.