Baruta eyes first stakes win in CERF Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Baruta has been a busy mare at Del Mar this summer, winning an allowance race in the first week of the meet in July and finishing second in the Grade 3 Rancho Bernardo Handicap on Aug. 16.

There is time for one more start and a potential first stakes win Sunday in the $80,000 CERF Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs.

“I hope I’m not running her in one race too many, but she seems like she’s good right now,” trainer Richard Mandella said.

Baruta was beaten 2 3/4 lengths by Taris in the Rancho Bernardo. Taris, the winner of the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland last October, is considered a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

The CERF Stakes drew a competitive field of eight, including Uzziel, who was third in the Rancho Bernardo; the speedy Amaranth, who upset the Desert Stormer Stakes at 43-1 in June at Santa Anita; and Velvet Mesquite, who won the California Cup Distaff on the hillside turf course last October at Santa Anita.

Ben’s Duchess is the only 3-year-old filly in the field and won her last start, an optional claimer here, by a nose Aug. 9. She was third in two sprint stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita earlier this year.

“When she runs her best race, I think she can be competitive with the older mares,” trainer John Sadler said.