Youteyourhonor moves to turf off pair of wins

ARCADIA, Calif. – The 3-year-old filly Youteyourhonor pulled her act together when she was fitted with blinkers last fall.

Youteyourhonor won an optional claimer/starter allowance at seven furlongs by a half-length on Nov. 27 at Del Mar and an allowance race for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs by five lengths on Jan. 8 at Santa Anita, her first two starts with blinkers on.

Sunday at Santa Anita, Youteyourhonor will race on turf for the first time in an allowance race for California-bred 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs. The blinkers remain part of her equipment, but the new surface presents an unknown factor regarding her chances.

“She’s got a long stride on her,” trainer Clifford Sise said. “I think she’ll be okay on the turf. Do I know for sure? No.”

Owned by Ted Aroney, Bertram Hug, and Philip and Kathleen Henry, Youteyourhonor has won 3 of 4 starts and earned $100,800. She is the most accomplished runner in a field of eight. The allowance race is the second of eight races on a program that begins at 11 a.m. Pacific and is scheduled to end about 2:30 p.m., about an hour before Super Bowl kickoff.

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Youteyourhonor will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who has had the filly near the front in her last two starts. Youteyourhonor should have a pace to follow from runners such as Gritty Girl, who set the pace before finishing fifth behind Youteyourhonor on Jan. 8; and Gianna’s Wild Cat, who set the pace in an allowance race at Golden Gate Fields in November and eventually finished third.

Gritty Girl is one of three turf-course winners in the field along with the highly-regarded She’s Bulletproof and Distorted Diva, who will be an outsider.

Gritty Girl won a maiden special weight race at five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita in October, racing near the front throughout.

She’s Bulletproof overcame a slow start and a troubled trip to record an attractive win in her debut in a maiden special weight race at six furlongs for California-bred 3-year-old fillies on Jan. 2. John Velazquez rode She’s Bulletproof on Jan. 2, but Flavien Prat has the mount Sunday. Velazquez on Sunday will serve the second day of a three-day suspension for causing interference in a race in January.

She’s Bulletproof was entered in a one-mile allowance race Friday but is more likely to run Sunday, trainer Ruben Alvarado said.

“I want to keep her going short,” he said. “I think she will have a better break this time. I think she will show me something special on Sunday.”

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Carmen Miranda, who drew the outside post Sunday, will start on turf for the first time. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Carmen Miranda was second in the Generous Portion Stakes for statebred 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs at Del Mar last September, but a well-beaten fourth in a field of five in the Royal Owl Stakes against statebred males later that month at Los Alamitos in her latest start.

Carmen Miranda was rested in the fall because of quarter cracks in both front and hind feet, D’Amato said.

“I had the hind one grow out and I had her halfway fit and the quarter crack on the left front” surfaced, D’Amato said. “We’re trying to see if she likes the grass.”