Justique Seeks to Bounce Back in Desi Arnaz

Justique , who turned heads in her debut this summer before regressing second out, seeks to rebound Nov. 19 at Del Mar when she runs in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes, a seven-furlong test for juvenile fillies on the main track.

C R K Stables' Justique wowed them in her debut performance at Del Mar in July, going from last to first to break her maiden. She won by 2 1/2 lengths but it was the way she accelerated around the turn and continued to eat up ground in the stretch that made her stand out from the other 2-year-olds at Del Mar last summer.

That early interest was dulled a bit when she ran third in the slowly run Chandelier Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita  Park last out, finishing 5 1/2 lengths behind the winner, And Tell Me Nolies , this year's TVG Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) champion. Trainer John Shirreffs believes he knows the reason why she ran the way she did.

"She got really tired," he says, "and she wasn't fit enough."

The 1 1/16-mile Chandelier was Justique's first time around two turns. She was in the back of the pack again that day and threatened on the second turn while under a drive from jockey Victor Espinoza. But she appeared to flatten out in the lane and was no match for the top two finishers. She did muster up enough run to salvage third place in the final strides.

Justique worked :58 in a five-furlong drill at Del Mar Nov. 13.

"She worked really well over the racetrack," Shirreffs says. "She looks good going into the race."

Two horses she beat in the Chandelier are back for the Desi Arnaz. Huntingcoco  faded to last in the race. Like Justique, it was the daughter of Practical Joke  's second career start following an impressive 6 3/4-length victory in her career debut, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar in September.

The other is Naughty Lottie , who set the early pace in the Chandelier and then faded to sixth. It was the daughter of Midnight Lute's third career start after running third in a sprint at Prairie Meadows in August and notching an overpowering 15-length win in her debut, a maiden special weight at Louisiana Downs in July. She's trained by Keith Desormeaux and will be ridden by his brother, Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux.

Another horse of note is Blessed Touch  from the Tim Yakteen barn. The daughter of Girvin   broke her maiden by eight lengths in a sprint at Santa Anita last out. She is the 9-5 second favorite on the morning line behind Justique at 8-5

Seven fillies are entered in the Desi Arnaz, named after the famous bandleader, television producer/actor, and husband of actress Lucille Ball.

Entries: Desi Arnaz S.

Del Mar, Saturday, November 19, 2022, Race 6

• STK
• 7f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 2:59 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Justique (KY)	Victor Espinoza	120	John A. Shirreffs	8/5
2	2Parody (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	Bob Baffert	4/1
3	3Naughty Lottie (KY)	Kent J. Desormeaux	120	J. Keith Desormeaux	12/1
4	4Huntingcoco (PA)	Flavien Prat	120	Bob Baffert	7/2
5	5Smokem for You (CA)	Francisco Orduna-Rojas	118	Edwin G. Alvarez	30/1
6	6Blessed Touch (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	120	Tim Yakteen	9/5
7	7Daddy Classy Dill (KY)	Diego A. Herrera	120	Edwin G. Alvarez	30/1