Talented Two-Year-Old Fillies Battle in Debutante

Pretty N Cool winning the Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar in August. (Photo by Benoit Photo)
The 65th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante showcases a field of 11 mostly west coast based 2-year-old fillies trying to establish that they can compete at the top level. With just under two months to go until the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, the Debutante serves as an important prep to that goal. Leading the field in terms of accomplishment to date is Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes winner Pretty N Cool. She is the only starter in the field from the potent Bob Baffert barn, who has won the Debutante seven times. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has a trio in the Debutante led by Wine Country Debutante winner Stays in Vegas, with recent strong maiden winners Surfside Tiara and Songbird not to be overlooked either. Come to Mischief shipped from her base in Florida to Canada to win the My Dear Stakes in her career debut in June then went back to Florida before coming to California for the race. With eight of the 11 fillies coming into the Debutante off of victories, it should be a great race to watch and to wager on.
Songbird won by six and a half lengths in her career debut on July 26 at Del Mar. In that race, Songbird controlled the pace from start to finish and earned a 95 Equibase Speed Figure. For a first time starter that was not only a strong effort, it was stakes quality. With an outside post to avoid traffic trouble while likely easily securing the early lead, jockey Mike Smith has a long run up the backstretch at this seven furlong trip and can angle over to the rail and control the race, or if needed, sit in second or third in the early stages while not too wide before making a move for the lead. With improving to do both physically and mentally off that debut, Songbird looks tough to beat even in a race in which many can also show marked improvement as maturing two year olds.
Surfside Tiara gets Del Mar leading jockey Rafael Bejarano and also won very easily in her most recent race, pulling clear by five and a quarter lengths. She earned a 90 figure and showed a lot of maturity stalking the early leader before responding to the jockey's instructions. She is one of two fillies in the race to have won at six and a half furlongs and is being asked to run just 110 yards farther today, which may not be an issue. As such, Surfside Tiara has a big chance to win or earn a stakes placing in the Debutante.
Pretty N Cool is a perfect two-for-two in her career, first leading from start to finish in a maiden race then stalking the pacesetter in second before drawing off to win by nearly three lengths in the Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar last month. She earned an 88 figure in her debut then improved to 90 in the Sorrento. Pretty N Cool should improve again and it certainly would be no surprise if she kept her perfect record intact and won her second stakes race in a row.
Stays in Vegas won the Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes in her career debut with a big burst of speed in the late stages to pull away by six lengths with a 94 figure. Six weeks later, she proved that easy win was no fluke when winning the Wine Country Debutante by three and three-quarter lengths with the comment "Geared Down" and a 93 figure. Considering Stays in Vegas has also shown maturity when stalking the pacesetter and rallying, there is every reason to believe she could be a strong factor in the Del Mar Debutante as well.
STAYS IN VEGAS WINNING THE WINE COUNTRY DEBUTANTE

Photo by Shane Micheli/Vassar Photography
Come to Mischief was in training in Canada in June then in Florida last month, before shipping back to Canada to win the My Dear Stakes in her career debut. She controlled the pace from start to finish in the My Dear to win by six lengths in "ridden out" fashion, suggesting she had a pretty full tank of gas left at the end. Rested since that race at the end of June, Come to Mischief shipped into Del Mar a week ago to get familiar with the track. With Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens riding and improving to do off her 89 Figure effort in the My Dear, Come to Mischief is yet another talented filly that could have a big say in the outcome of the Debutante.
The rest of the Debutante field, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures: Gomo (84), Land Over Sea (83), Mitzi Winks (75), My Dynamo (85), One True Kiss (84) and Right There (81).
Contenders:
Songbird
Surfside Tiara
Pretty N Cool
Stays in Vegas
Come to Mischief
You can get Ellis' entire Del Mar detailed analysis and selections at Equibase.com.
$300,000 Del Mar Debutante
Saturday, Del Mar, Race 9, 9:10 p.m. ET
7 furlongs, dirt, 2-year-old fillies

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

1

Right There

Kent Desormeaux       

Keith Desormeaux

Big Chief Racing

2

Come to Mischief

Gary Stevens

Peter Walder

Loooch Racing Stable

3

Pretty N Cool

Martin Garcia

Bob Baffert

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman

4

Land Over Sea

Mario Gutierrez

Doug O'Neill

Reddam Racing

5

Surfside Tiara

Rafael Bejarano

Jerry Hollendorfer

M Racing R. Dang or M. Pageler et al

6

Stays in Vegas

Flavien Prat

Jerry Hollendorfer

KMN Racing

7

One True Kiss

Joe Talamo           

Peter Miller

K. Kirk or Judy Robison

8

My Dynamo

Fernando Hernandez Perez

Jeff Bonde

Rusty Brown Phillip Lebherz and Alan Klein

9

Gomo

Alex Solis

Doug O'Neill

Reddam Racing

10

Mitzi Winks

Drayden Van Dyke

Doug O'Neill

EC Racing or W.C. Racing

11

Songbird

Mike Smith

Jerry Hollendorfer

Fox Hill Farms