As he watched Loretta Lynn pull clear in a maiden race for sprinters in late October, trainer Phil D’Amato’s thoughts turned to how the filly might fare in longer races. “She kept galloping out and drawing away,” D’Amato recalled on Friday. On Sunday at Los Alamitos, Loretta Lynn will have her debut around two turns, and first start in a stakes, in the $100,000 Soviet Problem for statebred 2-year-old fillies at a mile. Loretta Lynn will be favored in a field of six, all of whom are seeking their first stakes win. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Asada Fries is the only member of the field with a win around two turns, at a mile on turf for statebred maiden fillies at Del Mar on Nov. 23 in her fifth start. The other four runners were well-beaten by Grand Slam Smile in the $175,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Nov. 3. Petit Filet was second by 7 1/4 lengths, while Putt for Dough (fifth), Madison Rae (sixth), and Fly a Fantasy (seventh) finished farther back in the 10-horse field. Grand Slam Smile was second in the Golden Gate Debutante on Nov. 25 and has remained in Northern California with trainer Steve Specht. Loretta Lynn, owned and bred by Nick Alexander, won her debut at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Oct. 29 after disputing the early pace. “She acts like a filly that wants to go longer,” D’Amato said. “She’s a big, long lanky filly. Distance doesn’t seem to be an issue.” In the Soviet Problem, Loretta Lynn may not face significant early pressure. Loretta Lynn will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who was aboard for the maiden race win. Petit Filet, a 48-1 outsider in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies for trainer Alfred Vuocolo, will not be far from the front. Asada Fries set the pace in a maiden race at 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on Sept. 29, but finished second after she was caught by Petit Filet in the stretch. Asada Fries has started in maiden races at a mile on turf in her last two starts. She set the pace at Santa Anita on Oct. 20, finished third, and was later promoted to second when the runner-up was disqualified for causing interference. On Nov. 23, Asada Fries closed from fourth in a field of six to take a commanding lead in the stretch and won by 1 3/4 lengths. Trainer Craig Lewis said Asada Fries will benefit if Loretta Lynn sets the pace. “She’s better with a target,” Lewis said. While Asada Fries has won on turf, Lewis said the filly is adaptable. “She can run on dirt,” he said. “She might be a tad better on dirt.” Hernandez rode Asada Fries on Nov. 23 and has been replaced by Joel Rosario, a former leading rider in Southern California who is back on the circuit for the winter. Rosario will ride Asada Fries for the first time in the Soviet Problem. “I think the rider is pretty good,” Lewis said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.