Few willing to challenge Light the City in Desi Arnaz
DEL MAR, Calif. – The pedigree of Light the City would indicate that she will be at her best when she goes long, which makes what she has done already all the more impressive, and all the more frightening for future rivals.
Light the City won her debut here in August, then came back 1 1/2 months later and won the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita. Both those races were at six furlongs, the first on Polytrack and the second on dirt.
On Sunday at Del Mar, she goes for her third win when she stretches out to seven furlongs in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
The Desi Arnaz is the new name for what was known as the Moccasin Stakes when it was run at Hollywood Park. Because of the presence of Light the City, only four others are in the lineup, including another runner, Achiever’s Legacy, from the barn of Light the City’s trainer, Jerry Hollendorfer.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Achiever's Legacy. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is 9-5-2-0 with a $2.73 ROI over the past year going dirt to synthetic and route to sprint. Click for more details. – Dan Illman
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
As a result of the small field and the expectation that Light the City will be a prohibitive favorite, the Desi Arnaz is the second race on Sunday’s nine-race card, keeping it out of the pick six. In the pick five, she is likely to be a single on many tickets.
:: DRF Live: Get real-time updates and insights from DRF reporters and handicappers on Sunday
“I think she’s going to run well,” Hollendorfer said. “Of course, she’s already won there on a track she likes.”
Desi Arnaz, race 2
KEY CONTENDERS
Light the City (Last 2 Beyers: 82-76)
She is a daughter of Street Sense, a Kentucky Derby winner, and is out of a mare by A.P. Indy, a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner, so the increased distance should only help her.
Light the City did benefit from cozy outside draws in her first two starts. Although this field is small, she must overcome the rail.
Achiever’s Legacy (Last 3 Beyers: 73-68-DNF)
This will be her first start on a synthetic surface, and she’s not nearly as accomplished as her stablemate, but she is an intriguing turnback play, having finished a close third going a mile in a first-level allowance to Arnaz rival Maybellene last time out.
“Her last was much improved,” Hollendorfer said.
Maybellene (Last 3 Beyers: 74-23-68)
She has won twice in her last three starts, including, importantly, a victory over this track during the summer meeting. She bombed in the Grade 1 Chandelier but got off to a poor start and never recovered.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Maybellene. Trainer Bob Baffert is 24-10-5-2 with a $4.06 ROI over the past four years going dirt to synthetic and route to sprint. Click for more details. – Dan Illman
Into Oblivion (Last 3 Beyers: 66-61-75)
Her best race came in her debut here, where she defeated maidens sprinting on Polytrack. She has a chance to rebound under these conditions.
Xoxo (Last 2 Beyers: 32-70)
She was pummeled by Light the City in the Anoakia. Gets the best of the draw, takes blinkers off, and tries Polytrack for the first time.