Baffert, Hollendorfer Take Aim on Starlet
Description:
Hall of Fame trainers Bob Baffert and Jerry Hollendorfer may each have more than one starter in the $300,000 Starlet (gr. I) for 2-year-old fillies Dec. 12 at Los Alamitos Race Course.
Scheduled at 1 1/16 miles, the Starlet will be run for the second time at Los Alamitos in 2015 after being known as the Hollywood Starlet (1981-2013) at the now-defunct Hollywood Park.
Baffert, who won the Starlet three times at Hollywood Park—most recently with Streaming in 2013—might enter both Treasuring, runner-up in the Desi Arnaz Nov. 15 at Del Mar, as well as double grade II winner Pretty N Cool.
A two-time winner of the Hollywood Starlet with Blind Luck (2009) and Killer Graces (2011) Hollendorfer could be represented by Pike Place Dancer Stakes and Wine Country Debutante winner Stays in Vegas and Anoakia victress Surfside Tiara.
Although she disappointed as the 3-5 favorite in the Arnaz, Pretty N Cool, who is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, has won three of five, including stakes victories in the Sorrento (gr. II) Aug. 12 at Del Mar and the Matron (gr. II) Oct. 18 at Belmont Park | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Belmont Park.
Owned by a partnership that includes Jim Rome's Jungle Racing LLC and KMN Racing LLC, Stays in Vegas would be returning to dirt in the Starlet after consecutive wins on turf. Before her score in the Pike Place Dancer at Golden Gate Fields Nov. 1, the daughter of City Zip captured the Surfer Girl three weeks earlier at Santa Anita.
Trainer Peter Eurton has indicated Pacific Heat, who is undefeated in two races, could be supplemented to the Starlet for $7,500—with an additional $7,500 required to start.
Owned by Sharon Alesia, Mike Burns, and Ciaglia Racing LLC, the Unusual Heat filly graduated by 13 1/2 lengths in her Los Alamitos debut Sept. 25, then won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies five weeks later at Del Mar by a bit more than five lengths.
Other Starlet possibles include the Phil D'Amato-trained pair of Coppa, a first-out winner Nov. 1, and Street Fancy, who finished third in the Desi Arnaz after breaking her maiden in her Oct. 18. debut.