Astute, Princess Noor both headed to Starlet

DEL MAR, Calif. – Game on.

Astute will take on Princess Noor in a battle of the two best 2-year-old fillies on the West Coast in the Grade 1, $300,000 Starlet at Los Alamitos next Saturday.

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Astute will be coming back just 21 days after her victory in the Desi Arnaz here at Del Mar, but she signaled her readiness for the 1 1/16-mile Starlet with a half-mile work in 46 seconds Friday morning at Del Mar.

“She’s on fire,” said her trainer, Richard Mandella. “Couldn’t be better. That’s why she worked this morning. We’re all set.”

Astute is unbeaten in two starts. She won sprinting on turf in her debut at Santa Anita prior to the Desi Arnaz.

Princess Noor suffered her first loss finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies following Grade 1 victories in the Del Mar Debutante and Chandelier at Santa Anita. She worked five furlongs in 1:00.40 on Wednesday at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert.

Baffert said on Friday he could have more than one runner in the Starlet. Other candidates include Beautiful Gift, Kalypso, and Varda.

Beautiful Gift won a maiden special weight at Santa Anita on Oct. 23 in her second start. Kalypso won for the first time in her third start in the Anoakia Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita on Oct. 18. Varda won her debut in a maiden special weight race at Del Mar on Sept. 5, and was second to Princess Noor in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 26.