Coppa will stay on dirt in Starlet
Trainer Phil D’Amato scratched Coppa from the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar on Saturday and will point her to the $300,000 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 12. D'Amato also plans to run the stakes-placed filly Street Fancy in the Starlet.
On Sunday, D’Amato said he opted to scratch Coppa from the Durante, run at a mile on turf, and point her for a race on dirt, the surface over which she trains.
“She’s breezed so well on the dirt, and we looked at the race,” he said of the Durante. “We decided if we take a shot in a graded stakes, let’s do it on a surface she loves. She trains like she wants to run long.”
Coppa races for Anthony Fanticola and Joe Scardino and was purchased for $210,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company's sale of 2-year-olds in training last April. The filly beat maidens in her career debut by 3 1/4 lengths in a race at 6 1/2 furlongs Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
The Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16 miles is the top race for 2-year-old fillies at the Los Alamitos winter meeting, which opens a three-week run Thursday.
Street Fancy, owned by Agave Racing Sable, Fancy was a troubled third in her stakes debut, the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs Nov. 15 at Del Mar. Street Fancy was beaten a half-length by winner Lucky Folie after a poor start.
“Don’t count her out,” said D’Amato. “You’ll hear from her in the Starlet.”
Lucky Folie will be pointed for the $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs Jan. 2, trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday.
Treasuring, runner-up in the Arnaz, is a candidate for the Starlet, along with Pacific Heat, Pretty N Cool, Stays in Vegas, and Surfside Tiara.
Pacific Heat won the Golden State Juvenile Fillies for California-breds Oct. 29 at Del Mar. Stays in Vegas has won four stakes, the most recent of which was the Pike Place Dancer Stakes on turf Nov. 1 at Golden Gate Fields.
Pretty N Cool won the Grade 2 Matron Stakes at Belmont Park in October but was last of five as the 3-5 favorite in the Arnaz Stakes.