Flattery faces tough Surfer Girl field in Breeders' Cup prep

In a maiden race on Aug. 19 and again in her stakes debut in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 9, Flattery won twice with impressive rallies that carried her to the front with room to spare.

The same style could lead to a win in Sunday’s Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita and a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 3 there.

“I’m glad I’m running her to get a little more experience for her,” trainer Peter Eurton said.

Flattery, who races for the partnership of Exline-Border Racing, Burns Racing, Aaron Kennedy, and Richard Hausman, is one of two stakes winners in a field of 10 in the $200,000 Surfer Girl Stakes.

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The race will be the turf debut for the undefeated Dreamfyre, winner of two sprints in the summer, including the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 12 at Del Mar.

Trained in Northern California by O.J. Jauregui, Dreamfyre was held out of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante because of a lack of appetite. The filly will play a crucial role in the Surfer Girl Stakes as an expected pacesetter.

Flattery will be at the opposite end of the field early, likely among the trailing runners. She will be ridden by leading jockey Juan Hernandez, who was aboard for the two wins at Del Mar.

In the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, Flattery closed from seventh of eight in the final quarter-mile to win by a length.

“J.J. did a great job in getting her to settle,” Eurton said. “Her turn of foot was still there.”

In the Surfer Girl Stakes, Flattery faces two familiar rivals in Loterie and Angiolleta, who raced in traffic in the final quarter-mile of the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf and recovered to finish second and third.

Loterie, winless in three starts, was second by a length in a maiden race in her American debut on July 29 at Del Mar, racing in traffic before finishing behind Angiolleta.

“I think Loterie should have won two races ago, not only her last race,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “I think she had two subpar trips. I think that’s she a good filly.”

Umberto Rispoli rode Loterie in her two starts at Del Mar and will ride the maiden race winner Soho in the Surfer Girl. Tiago Pereira will ride Loterie for the first time Sunday.

Soho is one of three fillies in the Surfer Girl field who won their last starts in maiden races at Del Mar.

A $625,000 yearling purchase, Soho won a five-furlong race on turf Sept. 8, closing from fifth in a field of 10.

“She was a good winner first time out the way she came from off the pace,” trainer John Sadler said. “We think she’s a natural horse for two turns.”

The race has one shipper in the speedy Buttercream Babe, who was third in the Untapable Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 13 at Kentucky Downs.

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