D'Amato, Alexander have one-two punch in Betty Grable

DEL MAR, Calif. – S Y Sky should be near the early lead, while Just Grazed Me will be one to fear late. It’s a combination that could well serve trainer Phil D’Amato and owner-breeder Nick Alexander on Sunday at Del Mar in the $100,000 Betty Grable Stakes, in which they will send out two of the nine runners.

“It’s no easy race,” D’Amato said Friday morning. “It looks like there are a lot of nice horses in there. I think we’ve got two good ones. But I think we’ll need two good ones.”

Just Grazed Me, 3, may have the ideal style for the Betty Grable, a seven-furlong race for California-bred females. She won her first two starts sprinting, then tried two turns and now is cutting back.

“I was always on the fence as to whether she was a two-turn horse or a late-running sprinter,” D’Amato said. “She ran two turns twice and didn’t disgrace herself, but I think at the end of the day seven-eighths is her sweet spot.”

S Y Sky, 4, recently returned from a 15-month layoff to finish second in the California Distaff at Santa Anita last month. She was beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Love a Honeybadger, who looks like the one to catch in the Betty Grable, too.

D’Amato said S Y Sky has “shown a lot more speed” since returning.

“She’s a big, strong filly,” D’Amato said. “She needed her last off a long layoff. She should be right there.”

D’Amato said S Y Sky was off owing to a “soft-tissue injury.”

“We gave her double the amount of time she needed to make sure it healed right,” he said.

Love a Honeybadger led from start to finish in the California Distaff. She carries top weight of 124 pounds.

Peter Miller, trainer of Love a Honeybadger, also sends out Mo See Cal, who crushed a first-level allowance field last time out in an off-the-turf race.

Spiced Perfection should be a main player. She is 3 for 5 at Del Mar. She and Show It N Moe It both finished behind Just Grazed Me in the Fleet Treat Stakes here July 29.

The Betty Grable goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific.

KEY CONTENDERS

Just Grazed Me, by Grazen
Last 3 Beyers: 82-77-87

◗ Both her one-turn races resulted in runaway victories, including the Fleet Treat.

S Y Sky, by Grazen
Last 3 Beyers: 84-91-83

◗ She has never finished worse than second in five career starts.

◗ Joe Talamo opted for her over Spiced Perfection, who ended up with Flavien Prat.

One Fast Broad, by Decarchy
Last 3 Beyers: 89-78-74

◗ She was a distant third in the Fleet Treat after a poor start and has won her other two main-track races here.