Nom de Plume, Sbagliato, Ok Boomer Win Debuts

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are grade/group winners, or have dams that are grade/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners in particular who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Turfway Park

Bonne Chance Farm homebred Nom de Plume  won her first start for trainer Paulo Lobo Dec. 11, taking a six-furlong maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies on the all-weather track at Turfway Park.

Off as the 5-2 favorite, the Uncle Mo   filly ridden by Joseph Ramos chased the pace from second as a quarter-mile went in :22.36 and a half went in :46.70. She took over in the stretch and won by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:10.88.

Nom de Plume went through the Keeneland September Yearling Sale but failed to meet her reserve on a final bid of $535,000. She is out of the unraced Bernardini mare Casting Director, whose dam is grade 1 winner Shadow Cast (by Smart Strike).

Gulfstream Park

As winter racing shifts focus to warmer climates, four maiden winners of note were found at Gulfstream Park this week.

On Saturday, Bobby Flay's homebred Sbagliato  also won his debut, taking a one-mile turf test for 2-year-olds by 1 1/2 lengths.

The Quality Road   colt, trained by Christophe Clement and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, settled into a pocket along the rail just forward of midpack. Coming into the stretch, Sbagliato switched to the outside and rallied to take over the lead. He finished the distance in 1:34.98 on firm going.

Sbagliato is the second foal to race out of grade 3 winner Cover Song, a daughter of Fastnet Rock  and European 2-year-old champion filly and multiple group 1 winner Misty for Me . Cover Song is a half sister to sire US Navy Flag, who was also a European 2-year-old champion and multiple group 1 winner. His fifth dam is 1999 Broodmare of the Year Anne Campbell.

A few races later, Team Valor International's Ok Boomer  also broke his maiden on debut, taking a one-mile turf maiden test for 2-year-olds by a half-length for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Ok Boomer raced just behind the pace in fourth and then third before jockey Luis Saez asked the colt for his run. Ok Boomer completed the mile in 1:35.95 on a firm course.

Bred by Team Valor and Mr. and Mrs. Barry Irwin, Ok Boomer is out of the South African-bred, group 3 winner and group 1-placed Madame Dubois .

The following day, Pletcher had another new winner in Don Alberto Stable homebred Alpha Bella , who won her fourth start under Saez.

The Justify   filly made her debut Aug. 28 at Saratoga Race Course, but finished fifth. She then returned to the track Oct. 2, placing second at Churchill Downs. She followed that with a fourth-place finish over the same track Oct. 30 before moving to Gulfstream.

Alpha Bella is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed mare Andina  (Singspiel), who also produced grade 3 winner Andina del Sur  and Chilean group 2 winner Australia Mia.

In the last race on Sunday's card, Don Alberto had another winner as the breeder of Erna , who was bought by James Spry for $600,000 from the Ocala Breeders' Sale Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training earlier this year.

The Curlin   filly, trained by Cherie DeVaux, had finished second in her Oct. 22 debut at Belmont at the Big A, but returned to prevail by a neck on the turf in south Florida.

Under Saez, Erna stalked the pace from third, moved into second as six furlongs went in 1:10.80, and took over shortly after to hold on through the stretch and stop the clock in 1:35.11 on a firm course.

Erna is out of the stakes-placed City Zip mare Jumby Bay.