LNJ Foxwoods' With Honors returns to the Del Mar turf—a surface over which she claimed her last victory—after two starts at the highest level on dirt.
The War Front filly is the 124-pound highweight in a group of 13 juvenile fillies entered for the $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes (gr. IIIT) Nov. 26 at the seaside oval, and looks to rebound from a troubled ninth in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park Nov. 5. Prior to that start, she was runner-up to Noted and Quoted by a half-length after setting the pace in Santa Anita's Oct. 1 Chandelier Stakes (gr. I).
With Honors is two-for-two going a mile—the Durante distance—on the Del Mar lawn. She broke her maiden at first asking for trainer Keith Desormeaux in July, and returned next time out to capture the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes in early September. Regular rider Flavien Prat has the return call from post 8.
Trainer Doug O'Neill sends a trio, led by Golden State Juvenile Fillies winner How About Zero, who tries turf and open company for the first time after winning that Nov. 4 seven-furlong test with a strong rally on dirt at Golden Gate Fields. Reddam Racing's homebred Square Eddie filly has been no worse than second in three starts against fellow California-breds. She carries 122 pounds and all others are assigned 120.
Simmy's Temple, winner of the Oct. 29 Pike Place Dancer Stakes at Golden Gate, and Noble Dancer, fifth in that event, complete O'Neill's arsenal.
Others of interest include the Graham Motion-trained duo of Happy Mesa, 12th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) but runner-up in the Surfer Girl Stakes one start prior, and promising maiden winner Journey Home; eastern invader Defiant Honor from the barn of Jimmy Toner; Irish-bred Tiburtina, making her North American debut; and Surfer Girl third La Force, who finished seventh in the Juvenile Fillies Turf last out.