LOS ALAMITOS

Empire House a known quantity second time out

Empire House was a 24-1 outsider when she finished a game second in her debut in a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies at 6 1/2 furlongs on Nov. 21 at Del Mar.

“She never got a break,” trainer Jonathan Wong recalled Wednesday. “She was pressured the whole way.”

Empire House raced on the inside throughout the Nov. 21 race, dueling for the lead before losing by a half-length to Exotic West.

For her second start, in a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs on Friday at Los Alamitos, Empire House will break from post 2 in a field of eight 2-year-old fillies. This time, Empire House may be on the outside of an expected duel.

Donna Bella, a well-regarded first-time starter, has drawn the rail, which trainer Simon Callaghan said is not an ideal position. Callaghan would have preferred an outside post and a longer race for Donna Bella’s debut.

“I think 5 1/2 is a little sharp for her,” he said. “I think she’ll be better stretching out. I think the one hole, specifically at Los Al, is not ideal.”

Donna Bella and Empire House figure to dominate the betting in the maiden race, the fifth race.

The other runners are three first-time starters – Aadhana, Midnight Diva, and Whistler’s Style – and three fillies who have raced without success – Bathory, Dorita’s Happy, and Philly Lishes.

Flavien Prat is booked to ride the Not This Time filly Donna Bella, who is owned by Kaleem Shah.

“She does everything kind of nicely,” Callaghan said of the filly. “She’s got some ability. She’s got some speed.”

Purchased for $250,000 at a 2-year-olds in training sale this year Donna Bella is a half-sister to Street of Dreams, a filly by Street Sense who was second in the Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February.

Empire House is out of Mama Yay, who did not race. Mama Yay is a full sister to Dialed In, who won the 2011 Florida Derby and was eighth behind Animal Kingdom in the Kentucky Derby that year. Dialed In earned $941,236.

Owned by Tommy Town Thoroughbreds, Empire House was purchased for $500,000 as a yearling.

“She’s always shown she can run and has a lot of talent,” Wong said. “We have high hopes for her.”

Friday’s nine-race program begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific and is part of the final week of the three-week Los Angeles County Fair meeting. The brief season concludes Sunday. Santa Anita opens its winter-spring meeting Dec. 26.

◗ The richest race on Friday’s program is a $48,000 first-condition allowance race for California-bred fillies and mares at six furlongs.

In a field of nine, Fratelli, winner of a starter allowance at six furlongs on Dec. 4, and Single Me Out, who was a troubled third in a similar race Dec. 5, are the leading contenders. Single Me Out stumbled at the start of the Dec. 5 race and closed from last of nine to finish third by 1 1/2 lengths.