Turf seems to be Thought Process's game

After the 2-year-old filly Thought Process finished a well-beaten third in her debut in a maiden race on dirt July 27 at Del Mar, it was already time for a career change.

When Thought Process won her second start in a convincing manner in a maiden race at a mile on turf Aug. 17, the rest of her season, and perhaps her career, was defined.

Thought Process ran so well that she will be favored in Saturday’s $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile. The race could lead to more important races in coming months, perhaps even the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

“That’s what I’m hoping for,” trainer Phil D’Amato said.

Owned by Madaket Stables and the Little Red Feather Racing partnership, Thought Process is one of four turf winners in a field of 12 in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Supa Speed won a maiden race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar in her debut Aug. 1. An Chorr Dubh and Fondest Dreams have won maiden races in Ireland and England and will have their first starts in the United States on Saturday.

The Juvenile Fillies Turf is the grass debut for Casalu, who was third in the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on dirt Aug. 10. This is the second start for Sea Runner, a half-sister to the star turf miler Johannes. Sea Runner was third behind Thought Process on Aug. 17.

Thought Process, by Collected, is the first foal to race out of Creative Thinking, winner of the minor Keertana Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Churchill Downs in 2018.

With that turf pedigree, a surface switch was always a reasonable plan, D’Amato said.

“We tried the dirt and we knew we could always move onto the grass,” he said.

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Thought Process closed from fourth of nine to win the maiden race on turf by 3 1/2 lengths.

“I saw a very impressive filly,” D’Amato said. “I liked the way she handled the grass. She had a long, fluid stride and she floated over it.”

Supa Speed, trained by John Sadler, should have no difficulty with the distance. She is by Triple Crown winner Justify, and is out of Elfin Queen, a maiden race winner at a mile for trainer Aidan O’Brien in Ireland in 2020.

In her maiden race win, Supa Speed stalked the pace and won by 1 1/2 lengths. She is likely to be near the front Saturday.

An Chorr Dubh was the surprise winner at 33-1 of a seven-furlong maiden race at Gowran Park in Ireland on July 27 in a field of 16. An Chorr Dubh closed from midfield to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

“She’s been a pro since she got here,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “You’d always like a little more time. I can’t complain about how she’s settled in.”

The Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf will be run as race 5 on a 10-race card with a 1:30 p.m. Pacific post time.

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