Javanica, Quattroelle, Pizzazz primed for Blue Norther Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. - Javanica, Quattroelle, and Pizzazz finished second through fourth behind the New York shipper Fluffy Socks in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 29, leaving their respective trainers frustrated or baffled.

All three ran well enough in the Durante to suggest they can win Thursday’s $75,000 Blue Norther Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.

In the Durante, Javanica closed from seventh in the final furlong to finish a half-length behind Fluffy Socks as the 9-2 third choice. Despite the loss, trainer Eoin Harty expects a strong performance from Javanica against seven rivals in the Blue Norther.

“I was surprised she got beat that day,” Harty said, reflecting on the Durante loss. “My expectations haven’t been lowered since.”

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Javanica had her turf stakes debut in the Durante, having finished second in the Glorious Song Stakes on the all-weather track at Woodbine on Oct. 17.

In the Durante, Javanica was ridden by Flavien Prat, who has the mount on Thursday. Javanica starts from the rail.

“It’s the shortest way around,” Harty said of the draw.

“I’ll have her ready and it’s his job to maneuver. I have total faith in both of them.”

Quattroelle was beaten three-quarters of a length in the Durante in her stakes debut. The loss stung jockey Tyler Baze and trainer Jeff Mullins, who thought a bumping incident at the quarter pole cost Quattroelle.

The Irish-bred Quattroelle, winner of a maiden special weight race at a mile on turf here in October in her American debut, closed from ninth in the Durante.

“She got knocked clear out of the race,” Mullins said. “Tyler felt like all the commotion at the quarter pole cost him the race.

“She’s doing well. She’s always been straightforward and continues to be. Like all of them, she’ll need a good trip.”

Pizzazz rallied wide from seventh to lead by a length in the stretch of the Durante, but faded late to finish two lengths behind Fluffy Socks. Pizzazz won a maiden special weight race at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 1 in her third start, racing near the front throughout. Trainer Richard Mandella thought Pizzazz could sustain her run through the stretch in the Durante.

“That kind of surprised me,” Mandella said. “She’s a young filly. In her maiden race, she moved early and ran nice.”

Pizzazz was third in the Surfer Girl Stakes in her stakes debut here in October.

The Blue Norther is the stakes and American debut of Absolute Scenes, an Irish-bred filly who won her third start in a maiden race at a mile on the all-weather surface at Chelmsford Racecourse northeast of London on Nov. 12. She arrived in California in mid-December, and should benefit from a start on Thursday, trainer Richard Baltas said.

“I don’t know a whole lot about her,” Baltas said. “We’re getting her acclimated.

“I don’t have a big read on her yet. She looks like we’ll learn a lot from her first race. Hopefully, she’ll be a nice 3-year-old filly.”