One of last season's top 2-year-old fillies on the grounds is back for a crack at the top 3-year-old filly stakes this season.Buffythecenterfold, owned by Allen Brian and Stronach Stables and trained by Mel Stute, leads the pack of prospects for Saturday's 35th edition of the grade II, $150,000 San Clemente Handicap. "Buffy" captured Del Mar's grade II Sorrento Stakes last season before finishing seventh in the Del Mar Debutante.The bay daughter of Capote has a record of five wins and two seconds in 10 lifetime starts, with earnings of $380,325. Victor Espinoza will ride.
The Thoroughbred Corp.'s Atlantic Ocean, from the Bob Baffert barn, brings a high-profile record into the race, also, finishing third in the American Oaks at Hollywood Park July 5 in her most recent start. Prior to that, the daughter of Stormy Atlantic finished second, beaten a neck, in the grade II Honeymoon Breeders' Cap Handicap at Hollywood.Atlantic Ocean has won five of 14 outings and racked up $642,210 in earnings. Patrick Valenzuela has the call.Other 3-year-old fillies committed to the race, which is a prep for the Del Mar Oaks on Sunday, August 24, include Bukat Timah, owned by Gary Tanaka and trained by Neil Drysdale; Cellamare, a French import owned by Bernard Schiappa and Terence Lanni and trained by Frank Monteleone; Katdogawn, owned by Jim Ford, Deron Pearson and John R. Cuchna; Al and Sandee Kirkwood's Valentine Dancer, trained by Craig Lewis, and Welcome Millenium, owned by Arnold Zetcher and trained by Ron McAnally.
