PHOENIX – Blazingbellablu returns from the Northwest to defend her title in Saturday’s $60,000 Jeff & Jack Coady Sr. Stakes at Turf Paradise. The six-furlong event, for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, drew a competitive field of 10. Blazingbellablu, a 4-year-old daughter of Grazen owned by Charles Essex and Petra Lewin and trained by Essex, won this race smartly last Nov. 6 and has held strong form despite a couple gaps in her schedule. After her win in this race, she rallied to win the Phoenix here Nov. 26, then was second in the Belle of the Ball here Dec. 29. After that came a lengthy vacation, but she resurfaced June 26 at Emerald Downs as good as ever to be a sharp second, beaten just a neck, in the Hastings. Then came another layoff, but she came back to win a route stakes there Sept. 18. She’s back to sprinting but handles this trip well. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages. Despite all the things on the asset side of the ledger, her task isn’t easy. That’s due to the presence of some quality invaders. Day Plan, owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds LLC and trained by Jonathan Wong, ships in from Northern California, where she was in raging form. After back-to-back thirds in stakes on dirt at Pleasanton and Sacramento, the 4-year-old daughter of Carpe Diem romped over allowance foes on Golden Gate synthetic last time out Sept. 17. Clockstrikestwelve is another California raider. Owned by Michael Rosenmayer and also trained by Wong, the 6-year-old daughter of New Year’s Day ran second to Blazingbellablu in the Phoenix last year. She’s knocked heads with some good California foes, but you do have to go back to early 2021 to find her last win. Interstella invades from Prairie Meadows, where the 3-year-old daughter of Midshipman held good form including being twice stakes-placed for owners Brian Hall and Poindexter Thoroughbreds and trainer Kevin Eikleberry. Arizona Sun, owned by Randy Howg and trained by Robertino Diodoro, makes her first start in 4 1/2 months. This is her favorite track (nine of her 12 wins have come here), and she was second to Blazingbellablu in this last year. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.