Leucothea has best Beyers in Desi Arnaz Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Peter Miller and Phil D’Amato both have sizable numbers of horses here at Del Mar for the brief fall meeting, putting them in play to be among those battling for leading trainer by the time the meet ends Dec. 1. They square off on Sunday in the featured $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, Miller with the likely favorite, D’Amato with a potential upsetter.

Miller sends out Leucothea, who was a maiden winner here in August and who comes off a runaway 8 1/2-length victory in the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita last month with a Beyer Speed Figure of 83. That’s twice in five starts she’s reached that number or done better; only one other horse in the field – Biddy Duke – has earned a 70.

The Anoakia was at six furlongs. Leucothea will stretch out an additional 110 yards on Sunday for the 6 1/2-furlong Arnaz as she seeks her third win in six lifetime starts.

D’Amato counters with Spitefulness, who is making her first start on this circuit after prior starts at Presque Isle, Ellis Park, Arlington, and Keeneland. She most recently tried two turns in the Grade 1 Alcibiades, in which she set the pace before tiring to finish seventh. The race winner was British Idiom, who subsequently captured the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

There are a couple of intriguing angles with Spitefulness. She is cutting back to a sprint, and she is removing the blinkers that were used for the first time in the Alcibiades. In addition, Tyler Baze – who rode her in the Alcibiades and who worked her during her time in Kentucky – has the mount. All that prompted a $1,000 supplement to get her into the race at entry time Thursday.

“We’re taking a shot,” D’Amato admitted Friday morning, “but she’s doing really good right now, and she’s cutting back in distance coming out of a productive race. Tyler breezed her while she was in Kentucky. He knows her really well. We thought it was a good spot to get her out here and cut back in distance.”

Four others are entered, most notably Stellar Sound, a daughter of Tapit who was a maiden winner here on debut during the summer and then flopped when wheeled back in just 13 days for the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante. She is fresh, and has the cozy outside post.

Biddy Duke, the most experienced horse in the field with eight starts, owns a win and a second here. Roadrunner’s Honor won her debut at Santa Anita, earning a Beyer figure of 63. Orquidias Biz exits a maiden win sprinting on turf at Santa Anita.

The Arnaz goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:30 Pacific.