"She went great," said Sahadi. "Chris said she felt real strong."Golden Ballet, the probable Las Virgenes favorite, was a seven-length winner of the seven-furlong Santa Ynez in her last start Jan. 20. "I think she got a lot out of the work," said Jeff Siegel of the Team Valor syndicate.Winner of the grade II Demoiselle Stakes in her last start at Aqueduct, Joseph Graffeo's Two Item Limit breezed five furlongs in :59.80 at Hollywood Park this morning under Eddie Delahoussaye in advance of the Las Virgenes Stakes, which will be run at one mile on the main track.
"She's definite (for the Las Virgenes)," said trainer Steve DiMauro by phone Sunday morning. "We came out for the (Hollywood) Starlet but she got sick. We left her out there and have been training for this race ever since."
Two Item Limit has put together back-to-back graded stakes wins, having taken the Grade III Tempted at Aqueduct prior to her seven-length Demoiselle score. DiMauro added blinkers to the Twining filly prior to the Tempted.
"I'm not sure if that's the reason why she improved," DiMauro said. "But it sure seems to have gotten her on the right track."
In other Las Virgenes developments:
o Ella's Pal drilled five panels in :59.20 for trainer Kathy Walsh Sunday. "She worked good this morning," said Walsh. "So we're planning on going on with her."
o Flute breezed breezed six furlongs on the main track in 1:12.60 at Hollywood Park for trainer Bobby Frankel. "Everything's perfect," said Frankel. Probable to the grade I, $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at 1 mile on the main track, with jockeys: Two Item Limit, Eddie Delahoussaye; Golden Ballet, Chris McCarron; Flute, Victor Espinoza; Ella's Pal, Kent Desormeaux and Affluent, Brice Blanc. Possibles include: Warren's Whistle, no rider; Thewholebag, no rider.