Group of BC Juvenile Fillies Turf pre-entrants land in Jimmy Durante

Acquitted, Sea Runner, Supa Speed, and Tigerish, maiden race winners on turf in the summer and fall in California and Indiana, were all pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar earlier this fall.

None of them ran. Acquitted, Supa Speed, and Tigerish were stuck on the also-eligible list. Sea Runner was not entered.

The consolation is Saturday’s Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at a mile on turf for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar.

The BC Juvenile Fillies Turf was worth $1 million. The Durante has a purse of $100,000. The Durante does not have a European shipper such as Lake Victoria, who was ultra-impressive in winning the Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1.

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The Durante drew a competitive field of 13. None of the runners is a stakes winner.

Supa Speed and Sea Runner were second and third in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile on Sept. 7 and had mixed results in their next starts.

Supa Speed was 12th of 14 as the 5-1 second choice against males in the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance Stakes at a mile on turf Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Supa Speed raced in traffic on the first turn and encountered sustained trouble from the end of the backstretch to early stretch. She was beaten 7 1/4 lengths.

Sea Runner won a maiden race at a mile on turf Oct. 4 at Santa Anita and was held out of the TAA Stakes in favor of the Durante.

“She’s had a little time between races and she’s done well,” trainer Tim Yakteen said Thursday.

Yakteen described the maiden race win as “progress” for Sea Runner, a half-sister to his star older turf male Johannes. Sea Runner ran on from second to win that maiden race by a half-length.

“It was a good step for her,” he said. “She’s been a little aggressive at times in her races. She was in a comfortable spot.”

Acquitted won her turf debut in a six-furlong maiden race on Sept. 27 at Santa Anita after finishing fifth in two maiden races on dirt at the Del Mar summer meeting.

The Durante Stakes will be Acquitted’s stakes debut and first start at a mile. She starts from the outside post.

“She’s got a lot of speed, and I think she’ll jump out and put herself in a good spot,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “She might be on the lead.”

Tigerish was third in the Grade 3 Surfer Girl Stakes at a mile on turf Oct. 6 at Santa Anita in her California debut, losing by five lengths after racing in traffic on turn.

With a better journey, Tigerish “might have been a little closer,” trainer Richard Baltas said.

Frankie Dettori will ride Tigerish for the first time from post 12 in the Durante.

“I think she’s coming into this race in the right way,” Baltas said. “Frankie’s on her. He’ll have to navigate the outside post, and I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

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