Zuma Beach, Surfer Girl lure out-of-towners

ARCADIA, Calif. – Shippers from Canada, Europe, and the East Coast are among the probable starters for the two $100,000 one-mile turf stakes here on Monday.

They are joined by a solid group of locally based runners in the Zuma Beach Stakes for 2-year-olds and the Surfer Girl Stakes for 2-year-old fillies. The stakes could produce starters for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and the Juvenile Fillies Turf, both at a mile, at Del Mar on Nov. 3.

The field for the Zuma Beach Stakes includes Count Alexander, who was fourth in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 17 and is now trained by Vladimir Cerin; Mantracker, a maiden race winner in Ireland in August who is trained by Phil D’Amato; and Trusting Friend, who was fourth in the Laurel Futurity in Maryland on Sept. 16 and has since joined trainer Doug O’Neill.

The field includes My Boy Jack and Kazan, who were second and third in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf on Sept. 3.

There are three European shippers among the candidates for the Surfer Girl Stakes – Deep Breath from Ireland, Fatale Bere from France, and Miss Puddles from England.

Deep Breath, now trained by Eoin Harty, has won 2 of 3 starts. Fatale Bere, who recently joined trainer Leonard Powell, also won 2 of 3 starts, and was third in a minor stakes at Craon, France, on Sept. 2.

Miss Puddles, trained by O’Neill, has not raced since winning a novice race at Chester, England, in late July and has been in steady training in California in the last month.

The local fillies are led by One Fast Broad and Multiplayer, who were second and third to Terra’s Angel in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf on Sept. 4.