Upside could top experience in Torrey Pines

The proven stakes form of Catch My Fancy, Getback Time, Quiet Kim, and River's Prayer may not be enough to win Friday's $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar. They may need to run better than they have in recent starts to beat the up-and-coming fillies , whose presence in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies makes the Torrey Pines an outstanding betting race.

Although she is making her stakes debut and just the third start of her career, Sweet Way may go favored. Trained by John Shirreffs, she beat maidens at Hollywood Park in July and was a game fourth in a one-mile allowance race on turf on Aug. 7. In her last start, Sweet Way was beaten a length after encountering trouble on the turn.

"She didn't have the best of trips," Shirreffs said. "She has such a big stride. Had the race on the turf been a mile and an eighth, she might have won."

River's Prayer has earned $221,783, winning 3 of 7 starts. In her 2006 debut, she won the Fleet Treat Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies over seven furlongs here July 23, finishing 1 3/4 lengths ahead of runner-up Getback Time. Last year, River's Prayer won the Cinderella Stakes and was third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante. The Torrey Pines Stakes is her first start at a mile.

"We all have the same question: How will she respond?" said trainer Paula Capestro. "We know she has tactical speed, and we get a feeling she will stretch out this year, as she's more mature.

"What has happened in the period of time she has been off is she's grown tremendously," said Capestro. "She's more relaxed and not as hyper."

Quiet Kim returned from a two-month break to win an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles here Aug. 16. The race was her first start with blinkers, which she will wear Friday. Quiet Kim finished second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks in March.

"I think the blinkers really moved her forward," said trainer Bob Hess.

Trainer Julio Canani has two starters - Catch My Fancy and Kris' Sis. Catch My Fancy, recently transferred from Craig Dollase, won the Fairfield Stakes at the Solano County Fair in Vallejo in July. Kris' Sis has won twice this summer - a maiden race at Hollywood Park and an allowance race on turf here July 30.