Latte Luv has tactical edge in Blue Norther

Latte Luv, who starts in Monday’s $100,000 Blue Norther Stakes on turf at Santa Anita, is a filly with a developing racing style.

Latte Luv won her second start, and first on turf, in a one-mile maiden race at Santa Anita on Oct. 3 by leading throughout.

In the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 29, Latte Luv started from the inside post and closed from fourth of 11 to finish second by 2 1/2 lengths.

Latte Luv was held up on the turn behind the pacesetter, but had a clear run through the stretch. She was no match for the New York shipper Just Aloof, who pulled away in the final furlong.

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The Blue Norther Stakes drew a field of six, all locally based 2-year-old fillies. Latte Luv will start from the outside post and will not have a defined tactic, according to trainer Doug O’Neill.

“I’m very impressed with her versatility in the few races that she’s run,” O’Neill said on Friday. “I’m eager to see where she runs.”

Latte Luv may be in pursuit of Peanutbutterbombe, who led throughout to win her only start in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs on the flat turf course at Santa Anita on Oct. 25. Peanutbutterbombe was nominated to the Durante, but was not entered.

Latte Luv will be ridden for the first time by Hector Berrios, who worked the filly five furlongs in 1:03.40 on the infield training track at Santa Anita on Dec. 17.

“Hector was really excited about her,” O’Neill said. “She finished strong in the workout.”

Latte Luv was previously ridden by Mirco Demuro, who is booked to ride Total Val for trainer Richard Mandella. Total Val was beaten in four starts on dirt before winning her debut on turf with a late rally at 16-1 in a one-mile maiden race at Del Mar on Nov. 29.

Total Val starts from the inside post in the Blue Norther.

The field includes three other fillies who ran in the Durante – La Ville Lumiere, who finished in a dead heat for third; Wild Like the West, who was fifth; and the O’Neill-trained Hypergamy, who closed from eighth to finish sixth of 11.

Hypergamy won a maiden race at a mile on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 9 from the front.

“She’s a talented filly that may be a tad less mature than Latte Luv,” O’Neill said. “She’s got the ability to be competitive. There is a lot of upside.”

La Ville Lumiere has the most stakes experience of the fillies in the Blue Norther. Trained by Michael McCarthy, La Ville Lumiere has started in four stakes, including a third in the Grade 2 Oak Leaf Stakes on dirt at Santa Anita on Oct. 4. La Ville Lumiere was later seventh of nine in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar on Oct. 31.

La Ville Lumiere won a maiden race at five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita in May.

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