Donna Veloce may go in Starlet Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – The top 2-year-old filly in California may have one more start this season after all.

Donna Veloce, runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, worked an easy half-mile early Monday at Santa Anita and is expected to defer a scheduled freshening to run in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Starlet on Dec. 7.

“She came out of the Breeders’ Cup really good, obviously,” trainer Simon Callaghan said while watching Donna Veloce work a half-mile under Flavien Prat in 50.20 seconds. The slow clocking was fine, according to Callaghan. “It’s like a gallop for her. I told Flavien it’s better to go too slow than too quick.”

The 6:40 a.m. work was the first by Donna Veloce since the Breeders’ Cup. She will work twice more before Callaghan and owner Kaleem Shah fully commit her to the 1 1/16-mile $300,000 Starlet.

“It’s a Grade 1, then we’ll give her some time.” Callaghan said. “If we run, we probably won’t bring her back until March. If we don’t run, maybe we would come back in February.”

Donna Veloce won her sprint debut in late September by more than nine lengths with a 91 Beyer, the co-highest figure this year by a juvenile filly. In just her second start, Donna Veloce missed by a neck as the 2-1 favorite in the BC Juvenile Fillies.

“I thought she ran great over a wickedly deep track” Callaghan said.

Donna Veloce would top a small field in the Starlet. Bob Baffert could start two – BC Juvenile Fillies third-place finisher Bast, and recent maiden winner Gingham. Trainer Peter Miller could start multiple sprint stakes winner Leucothea.

Callaghan also worked Bellafina on Monday. Runner-up in the BC Filly and Mare Sprint, Bellafina looked super working a half-mile in 48.40, her first work since the Breeders’ Cup. Bellafina will target the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

In past years, the seven-furlong La Brea was run Dec. 26, traditional opening day of the winter meet. The 2019-20 Santa Anita winter stakes schedule has not yet been released.

Monday workouts also included Baffert-trained Thousand Words, who scratched from the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes on Saturday at Del Mar. The 2-year-old colt worked six furlongs in company with Leading Score, an older horse who will be among the favorites Saturday in the Grade 3 Native Diver Handicap at Del Mar. Thousand Words and Leading Score worked heads up in 1:12.80.

Baffert did not specify where Thousand Words would run next. An impressive winner of his only start, Thousand Words is nominated to the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club on Nov. 30 at Churchill Downs, and the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 7.