Steph Being Steph © Benoit Photo
Six talented two-year-old fillies, all but one of whom have maiden victories to their credit, will be tested over seven furlongs Saturday in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes, feature of a nine-race program at Del Mar. Post time for the opener is 12:30 p.m.
In post position order, entered are Steph Being Steph, Stewart Elliott; Ms Bad Behavior, Tiago Pereira; Midnight Bijou, Rafael Bejarano; Smiling Tigress, Tyler Baze; Secret Spice, Corey Nakatani, and Dream Tree, Drayden Van Dyke.
Vying for favoritism will be Steph Being Steph, a daughter of Majestic Warrior who followed up a facile maiden win at Los Alamitos with a solid second behind Artistic Diva in the Anoakia Stakes, and Dream Tree, a Bob Baffert-trained Uncle Mo filly who won her lone race by a nose over Midnight Bisou as the 4-5 favorite. Dream Tree, whose blinkers will be removed for the Saturday race, was a $750,000 buy last March at a two-year-olds-in-training sale.
Trainer Richard Baltas will send out two fillies in the Desi Arnaz, Ms Bad Behavior, an impressive maiden winner in her third try, running six and one-half furlongs in a stylish 1:16 3/5, and Secret Spice, who won at second asking at Santa Anita October 1 by five and one-quarter lengths and then was fourth in the Anoakia Stakes.
Completing the line-up are the aforementioned Midnight Bisou, narrowly beaten by Dream Tree in her only outing, and Smiling Tigress, unplaced in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies after a maiden triumph versus Cal-breds.
The Desi Arnaz is carded as the fifth race.