Pretty N Cool Impresses in Sorrento Stakes
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Pretty N Cool showed her standout debut victory in the slop during Del Mar's opening weekend was no fluke in the $200,000 Sorrento Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 12 at the seaside racetrack.
The 2-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy showed the ability to rate by tracking early leader Undisputed, moved up in the turn, and pulled away to win the 6 1/2-furlong dirt test by 2 3/4 lengths.
Gomo, coming off a commanding mile turf win to drop her maiden, closed to get second. One True Kiss also made a late run to finish third, 2 1/4 lengths back.
Off at odds of 2-5, Pretty N Cool hit the wire in a final time of 1:16.94 under jockey Martin Garcia to give trainer Bob Baffert his seventh Sorrento score. The trainer's record total dates back to 1991, when he won the race with Soviet Sojourn.
"This filly has always shown, from day one, that she was pretty special," Baffert said. "I was a little nervous that day when she ran in the slop, but she came back and worked easily."
Undisputed ran all alone out front early on, sprinting through the opening quarter in :22.24 while Pretty N Cool sat 3 1/2 lengths back in second, but the frontrunner was already losing ground after a half in :45.59.
"I was always a little worried about her being too keen early, but we don't let her work too fast in the mornings," said Baffert, who indicated Pretty N Cool is pointing next to the Del Mar Debutante (gr. I) Sept. 5. "I loved the way she just sat off the leader, (who) was bolting or doing something early. Martin just sat back there and asked her to go."
The winner paid $2.80, $2.20, and $2.10 across the board. Gomo brought $9 and $6.20, while One True Kiss delivered $5 to show.
Right There finished an even fourth, followed by Uptown Twirl and Undisputed, to complete the order of finish. Sooner Time and Stays in Vegas were scratched.
Bred in Kentucky by Nancy Shuford out of the Rockport Harbor mare Stayclassysandiego, Pretty N Cool now has $162,000 in earnings from her two wins for owners Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman. She was a $160,000 purchase by the owners' Three Amigos Stables at the Keeneland 2014 September yearling sale.