One of D'Amato's trio needs to step up in Burbank

Lakota Spirit, Leisurewear, and Turnerloose, all trained at Del Mar by Phil D’Amato, represent half the field in Saturday’s $75,000 Luther Burbank Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at the Sonoma county fair in Santa Rosa, Calif.

D’Amato may need strength in numbers to win the 1 1/16-mile Burbank. Each runner starts after a series of losses at Santa Anita earlier this year.

“They all have different styles,” D’Amato said. “I think Lakota likes to come from off of it. Turnerloose is tactical and can do a bit of everything. I think Leisurewear may have a little more speed.”

D’Amato’s trio faces another Southern California shipper in Grace Period, trained by Leonard Powell, and two local 4-year-old fillies in Princesa Del Tigre and Delusively, who were third and fourth in the She’s a Tiger Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton on June 22.

The Burbank is part of an eight-race program that begins at 1:45 p.m. Pacific.

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Princesa Del Tigre will have her 2024 turf debut in the Burbank. She won a starter allowance on turf at Santa Rosa last summer.

Lakota Spirit, winless in four starts since an allowance race at Del Mar last November, was second in the Grade 3 Robert Frankel Stakes at Santa Anita in December, but has since finished fourth, ninth, and fifth in stakes at Santa Anita.

“Lakota has probably been running against the toughest,” D’Amato said of his group.

Leisurewear is winless in six starts since May 2023, and was third in an allowance race at Santa Anita on June 9.

Turnerloose is winless in 14 starts since the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds in February 2022 when trained by Brad Cox. Turnerloose, 5, was last of five in the Possibly Perfect Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita on June 15.

Grace Period, winless in 10 starts since an allowance race in France in October 2022, joined Powell’s stable last year. Grace Period was third in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields on June 7, her best result in seven starts in the United States.

Grace Period will be fitted with blinkers for the first time in the Burbank.

“Hopefully, it will bring her a bit of an edge,” Powell said. “She always stays very one-paced. Last time, she had a good trip. When it was time to quicken, she was one-paced.

“On her morning works, she works like a nice horse. In the afternoon, I’ve run her short, long, turf, and dirt. On the turn, she’s loaded and it looks like she’s going to do something special. She never has any extra in the final quarter-mile.”

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