Leucothea cruises to Desi Arnaz Stakes victory

DEL MAR, Calif. – Leucothea is fast, fast enough to win her second straight sprint stakes race on Sunday at Del Mar, but this time she showed the ability to sit off another horse, which gave trainer Peter Miller the thought that another two-turn bid just might be worth it.

First things first. Leucothea romped on Sunday in the $100,351 Desi Arnaz Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies that marked her third win in six starts. She checked in 3 1/2 lengths to the good of Orquidias Biz, who rallied from last in the field of six to get second. Stellar Sound, who loomed menacingly at midstretch, flattened out to finish third, another 1 1/4 lengths back. Roadrunner’s Honor, Spitefulness, and Biddy Duke completed the finish, in that order.

Leucothea was timed in 1:17.42 on the fast main track.

Leucothea was coming off a front-running victory in the six-furlong Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 13. This time, she stayed on the hip of Biddy Duke for the first quarter-mile before taking over. She paid $2.80 as the favorite, and gave jockey Abel Cedillo his third win of the day.

“Abel did a great job sitting off the other horse,” Miller said as he watched a replay on the infield video board following the race. “It gives her another dimension.”

Leucothea, a daughter of Midshipman, had one prior attempt at two turns, but the race was over soon after it started. She bobbled leaving the gate in the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita, lost jockey Norberto Arroyo Jr., then grazed two photographers and sent many others running and diving for their safety.

Miller said the Grade 1 Starlet next month at Los Alamitos, also at 1 1/16 miles, might be worth considering owing to the current state of the 2-year-old filly division in California. Donna Veloce was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies earlier this month, but is not scheduled to run again until January, leaving Juvenile Fillies third-place finisher Bast as the likely early favorite for the Starlet.

“She was just cruising,” Miller said of Leucothea. “She wasn’t slowing down. She might get two turns.”

At the least, the residual value of top three finish in a Grade 1 race is alluring, Miller pointed out.

Leucothea is owned by Miller's Altimira Racing Stable, the SoCalSeven Racing of Lance Hayes, and Brian McGoldrick. She earned $60,000 on Sunday and now has career earnings of $127,682.