Take Notice.

[Cavallo]

Well, there is a buzz of excitement coming from the black and maroon silks as a familiar face has taken to the tracks with a new look and a new attitude and that horse's name is Barely Legal. Barely who? some people might ask...but after this weeks phenomenal workout, we're definitely taking notice of this older dirt filly. Sired by Barely a Moment and out of Testimonial Circumstances, this dirt runner filly had a quiet last season, but she didn't finish out of the money once and now it looks like she has found a permanent home with Intrepid Racing, who snagged the filly at a steal for 300,000.

Leila as she is known around the barn has had an interesting journey, coming out of a rough juvenile season with the now gone Close Racing, she shuffled around a bit where she began to have a turn around with Valkyrie until their hiatus and then Blue Cross Estates...but not she's landed herself a more permanent home with TC & CTC winning trainer, Nick Landing. If there is one trainer who has a knack for the dirt and turning around older horses, it is Nick Landing. After watching the filly's resounding battle with Y14 Usurper Female Award winner Restricted Access, we had to sit up and take notice of this wallflower filly because the wallpaper is fairly screaming now. We were able to corner Landing after the filly's impressive workout and were able to inquire into his insights about the filly.

"Leila has the experience, there's no questioning that, what she needed was to be introduced to the fight, the drive to place it all on the line for the finish. We have plenty of fight in our horses here at Intrepid and I think it's safe to say that kind of spirit is starting to rub off on her. Take her experience and arm it with passion and what you have is an explosive combination. I just got a feeling about her, got it when I saw in the sales ring and I'm eager to see how she continues to develop. We're already headed in the right direction with her."

Barely Legal is entered here at The Wire for her Y15 debut in January Week Three's Brilli Flash Stake Derby where she will attempt to take on a four horse field over eight furlongs on the dirt. Here's The Gallop saying that we're sitting up and taking notice of the wallflower and screaming wallpaper...