Astute dispatched heavily favored Private Mission with a quarter-mile to run and rolled home a 7 1/2-length winner in Saturday’s $100,000 Desi Arnaz S. at Del Mar.
The 2-year-old Speightstown filly is the 15th stakes winner this year for the WinStar stallion, who is one of only four sires with 2020 progeny earnings in excess of $10 million.
Astute, who had won her Oct. 12 debut on the Santa Anita turf course, had no trouble with the switch to the main track Saturday. She and Private Mission were head-to-head for the lead until Astute began to edge away just before entering the stretch. She poured it on from there, winning as much the best in 1:17.28 for the 6 1/2-furlongs on a fast track.
“The owners and the manager—Alex Solis, Jr.—told me before I ever saw her that she’s special and it’s kind of held true,” winning trainer Richard Mandella said. “I only put her in the maiden turf because I knew she could do turf and I was afraid a dirt race the next day wouldn’t fill. I expected she’d run well today, but maybe not this well.”
Mandella said he would consider the $300,000 Starlet (G1), on Dec. 5 at Los Alamitos, for the filly’s next start.
Astute is owned by LNJ Foxwoods, who purchased the chestnut filly for $425,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling sale. She was bred by WinStar Farm and is a half-sister to Inside Information S. (G2) winner Classic Point.
Among Speightstown’s stakes winners this year are Grade 1 winners Lady Speightspeare, Echo Town and Mozu Superflare. WinStar recently announced that Speightstown’s 2021 fee will be $90,000 S&N.
