Del Mar Debutante Field Talented and Diverse

Bob Baffert-trained Pretty N Cool will draw more than enough attention in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (gr. I), coming off an impressive victory last time out in the Sorrento Stakes (gr. II), but the daughter of Scat Daddy   will face a group of talented and diverse challengers Sept. 5.



Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman, Pretty N Cool didn't disappoint at Del Mar in the Sorrento, when she stalked the pace then pulled away to win the 6 1/2-furlong event Aug. 12 by 2 3/4 lengths at odds of 2-5. The second-, third-, and fourth-place Sorrento finishers—Gomo, One True Kiss, and Right There—return to challenge again in the Debutante, but the rest of the field features a range of back stories.



BALAN: Pretty N Cool Impresses in Sorrento Stakes



The most compelling entrant for the seven-furlong Debutante may be Fox Hill Farms' standout maiden special weight winner Songbird, who won her six-furlong debut July 26 at Del Mar by 6 1/2 lengths for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. The Hall of Fame conditioner also trains Debutante entrants Surfside Tiara and KMN Racing's intriguing Stays in Vegas, who has shipped down from Northern California after winning back-to-back stakes on the state's fair circuit. 



Stays in Vegas, a daughter of City Zip  , overcame a troubled start to win the Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes by six lengths in her 5 1/2-furlong debut July 4 during the Oak Tree meeting at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton. The off-the-pace runner then took the six-furlong Wine Country Debutante Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths Aug. 14 at the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa.



Reddam Racing and Doug O'Neill, who have teamed up to saddle several 2-year-old winners at Santa Anita Park and Del Mar this year, enter Gomo and Land Over Sea, a Bellamy Road   filly who ran second in her dirt debut at Los Alamitos Race Course in July, then switched to turf to break her maiden at a mile July 29 at Del Mar.



Other local maiden winners entered include My Dynamo, who closed to win a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race Aug. 16, and Mitzi Winks, another O'Neill trainee who is arguably taking the largest step up in the Debutante field after winning a five-furlong $62,500 maiden claiming event by 4 1/2 lengths Aug. 6.



Along with the West Coast's best freshman fillies is eastern shipper Come to Mischief. Loooch Racing Stable's Into Mischief   filly trained by Peter Walder is coming off a debut victory in the My Dear Stakes at Woodbine June 28, when she took a field of seven gate to wire to win by six lengths, covering five furlongs in :57.19 on the Polytrack surface.