Put Me in Coach: Satin Doll Races in Del Mar Debutante

Noted college sports coaches Rick Pitino, Chip Kelly, and Mick Cronin love to go racing at Del Mar. So they got into a group of 10 guys who call themselves The Del Mar Group, and they will be watching closely to see how Satin Doll  performs against Vegas Magic , Home Cooking , and five other 2-year-old fillies in the Sept. 10 TVG Del Mar Debutante (G1).

Pitino and Cronin, being college basketball coaches, can watch closely. Kelly, Cronin's football counterpart at UCLA, will be a tad busy. His Bruins that day kick off against Alabama State in the Rose Bowl at 2 p.m. PT, about 2 1/2 hours before post time for the Debutante.

"Each and every one of them love coming to Del Mar," said Doug O'Neill, who trains for the coaches. "Coach Kelly came to the Breeders' Cup (last year at Del Mar). He had a bye or something that weekend. He enjoyed the heck out of it. He loves the sport, and the other guys do too."

Satin Doll is one of two juvenile fillies trained by O'Neill in the seven-furlong Debutante, the other being Vegas Magic. They are the only two with stakes experience, facing four coming out of their maiden victories and two maidens.

O'Neill's runners most recently competed in the six-furlong Sorrento Stakes (G2) Aug. 13 at Del Mar, with Vegas Magic winning by 1 1/4 lengths over odds-on favorite Procrastination . Satin Doll ran fourth after being brushed at the start, racing in traffic on the backstretch and turn, and then flattening out. 

Vegas Magic broke her maiden in her debut, June 11 at Santa Anita, then traveled to Pleasanton for the July 9 Everett Nevin Stakes against males, scoring by a nose with a late rally. 

"That was a crazy race because she was a little bit high-strung in the paddock," said O'Neill. "Then she kind of back-pedaled mid-race, and she just came flying. It was a really impressive race to watch. Then what she did in the Sorrento was exceptional."

O'Neill said he sent Vegas Magic to Pleasanton because "she was doing really well and it was either wait until the Sorrento, which was a pretty big gap from her early June maiden win to the Sorrento or put a race in between."

O'Neill trains the daughter of Good Magic   for Omar Aldabbagh, Todd Cady, and Ty Leatherman. O'Neill bought her for $100,000 at this year's Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. Abel Cedillo rode Vegas Magic in the Sorrento and will be back aboard from post 1, leaving her seemingly poised for a stalking trip along the inside for at least a portion of the race. She experienced a similar trip in winning the Sorrento.

Satin Doll, a daughter of Congrats , broke her maiden by 1 1/2 lengths in her only start prior to the Sorrento. O'Neill's brother Dennis, a bloodstock agent, purchased Satin Doll for $60,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Doug O'Neill named Kyle Frey to ride from post 4.

"She was so impressive in her debut," said O'Neill. "Then in the Sorrento the track looked like it might be playing a little speed-favoring, so we maybe took her out of her game a little bit and had her a little closer up. I think the seven-eighths and let her be comfortable early on and get back to her maiden type of performance, I think we've got a big chance."

Trainer Bob Baffert has won the last three consecutive Debutantes with fillies that each cost more than his two 2022 entries combined. Bast , a $500,000 yearling, won in 2019, followed by Princess Noor , a $1,350,000 2-year-old, in 2020, and Grace Adler , a $700,000 yearling, last year.

By contrast, Home Cooking  sold for $260,000 at this year's OBS March Sale. Fast and Shiny  cost $150,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Longtime Baffert owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman bought both of them in the name of Three Amigos.

Home Cooking could go favored by virtue of her second start when she pounded a maiden field by 9 1/4 lengths as the 1-2 favorite. Mike Smith, who piloted her that day, again will ride the filly, who drew post 6.

Fast and Shiny didn't post as impressive a maiden victory, but under Florent Geroux, she won her first outing by 1 1/2 lengths over Doinitthehardway  of the same connections. Doinitthehardway was not entered in the Debutante, and Juan Hernandez, who rode that filly, climbs aboard Fast and Shiny, who starts from post 5.

And Tell Me Nolies  (Ramon Vazquez, post 3) and Arella Star  (Hector Berrios, post 7) are coming off maiden wins. Peter Miller trains And Tell Me Nolies, who won Aug. 14 at Del Mar. Roderick Rodriguez conditions Arella Star, who broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park July 29.

Ice Dancing  (Flavien Prat, post 8) finished third to And Tell Me Nolies in her only outing. Kissed by Fire  (Joe Bravo, post 2) ran second in her only race, with Home Cooking third.

Entries: TVG Del Mar Debutante S. (G1)

Del Mar, Saturday, September 10, 2022, Race 8

• Grade I
• 7f
• Dirt
• $300,000
• 2 yo Fillies
• 4:48 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Vegas Magic (KY)	Abel Cedillo	123	Doug F. O'Neill	3/1
2	2Kissed by Fire (MD)	Joe Bravo	118	Peter Eurton	8/1
3	3And Tell Me Nolies (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	120	Peter Miller	3/1
4	4Satin Doll (KY)	Kyle Frey	120	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
5	5Fast and Shiny (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	120	Bob Baffert	8/1
6	6Home Cooking (KY)	Mike E. Smith	120	Bob Baffert	9/5
7	7Arella Star (KY)	Hector Isaac Berrios	118	Roderick R. Rodriguez	15/1
8	8Ice Dancing (KY)	Flavien Prat	118	Richard E. Mandella	8/1