Offlee Naughty Awfully Tough In San Capistrano

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Photo: Benoit Photo
Offlee Naughty wins the San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita Park

James and Donna Daniell's Offlee Naughty  will seek to continue his reign as king of the Southern California turf routers in the June 18 $100,000 San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita Park.

Offlee Naughty has struck his best stride as a 5-year-old, winning his last three races, including two graded stakes races. What makes the Michael McCarthy trainee even more impressive is the fact that he continues to find a way to win despite what traffic nightmares he faces in deep stretch. In both the April 8 Charles Whittingham (G2T) and May 13 San Luis Rey (G3T) the son of Flashback  prevailed convincingly despite losing his momentum at the five-sixteenths pole.

Stretching out one furlong further in the 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano, Offlee Naughty, partnered with jockey Umberto Rispoli, will rematch against familiar foes in Sunday's contest as the 2-4 finishers in the San Luis Rey return for revenge. Though while San Luis Rey runner-up and Brazilian group 1 victor Planetario  and fourth-place finisher Opry  present solid challenges, the biggest adversary could be Offlee Naughty's own barnmate, the distance-loving filly Duvet Day .

Duvet Day, an Irish-bred closer type that is also often hampered by troubled trips, enters the San Juan Capistrano off a late-charging second-place effort in the 1 1/2-mile Santa Barbara Stakes over this course April 30. Three starts back, the daughter of Starspangledbanner  rallied to a handy score in the 1 1/2-mile Astra Stakes.

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