Miss Monica Overwhelms Opposition in Del Mar Debutante
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Miss Monica is all alone at the wire in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes at Del Mar
Mike Pegram recalls the scene last April at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training when the bidding for the handsome dark bay filly in the ring was running up the ladder, finally stopping at $850,000.
"I saw Bobby keep bidding on this Early Voting and wondering who he's buying this filly for," said Pegram, referring to his trainer, Bob Baffert. "Then he comes over and says, 'OK, sign the ticket.' But that's Bobby. When he gets his eye on one, he ain't stopping."
Five months later, that eight-fifty is looking like a steal. The daughter of Early Voting now goes by Miss Monica🔥 , and her 6 1/4-length blowout in the $302,000 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) at 7 furlongs Sept. 5 put her on the fast track to national recognition.
With Juan Hernandez aboard, the odds-on Miss Monica stalked the early pace set by Fast Amy and Panda Listen through a smart :44.96 opening half-mile. By the time the field reached the far turn, Hernandez had allowed his filly to range alongside the leaders, and then, before the others knew what hit them, Miss Monica was gone.
"She's a big filly with a beautiful stride," Hernandez said. "I was loaded all the way. Turning for home, I asked her to pick it up. She switched leads, and the race was over."
It was just that easy, although Miss Monica did give her rider a brief moment of concern in the Del Mar starting gate.
"It was a little hot and humid today, and she got a little nervous," Hernandez said. "I thought she might be getting a little upset, and she was moving around a little. But then when the gate opened she was really on her game."
Miss Monica and jockey Juan Hernandez win the Del Mar Debutante Stakes
As Miss Monica ($2.80) cruised home in isolated splendor, stopping the timer in 1:23.54, a battle for second money unfolded between Holmby , the other Baffert runner, and Crazy Hot Mess , a 25-1 shot ridden by Joel Rosario. As trainer Peter Miller cheered her on, Crazy Hot Mess collared and passed Holmby by 1 1/2 lengths.
"I feel like she won the race," Miller said. "A grade 1 placing—that's a big deal for this filly. I think the distance made the difference."
When last they met in the 6-furlong Sorrento Stakes (G3), victorious Holmby finished 7 3/4 lengths in front of the third-place Miller filly. In the Debutante, however, they both took a distant back seat to the winner, now 2-for-2.
Miss Monica is out of the American Pharoah mare Lipstikliesnlovers , which made it too tempting for Pegram and company to resist the playful name. She was bred in Kentucky by Doug Branham, Felicia Branham, and Pippa's Hurricane, and was first sold as a yearling for $45,000 before blossoming into the coveted 2-year-old from last spring. Pegram and partners Karl Watson and Paul Weitman bought her under their familiar Three Amigos banner.
Miss Monica gave Baffert his 13th win in the Debutante, although only one (Executiveprivilege in 2012) of the previous dozen involved Pegram, Baffert's long-time patron.
"That gives you an idea just how hard this race is to win," Pegram said. "I mean, I got Silverbulletday beat here. And last year Explora got caught in that speed duel, even though I thought she was much the best."
Silverbulletday finished fourth in the 1998 Debutante to stablemate Excellent Meeting before going on to a Hall of Fame career. Explora was second last year to Bottle of Rouge , also a Baffert stablemate, and more recently won the Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course to rank among the top 3-year-old fillies of 2026. Pegram is ready to rank Miss Monica among the top of her division.
"She's smooth like that good Kentucky bourbon," Pegram said. "And Kentucky is where she's headed for the Breeders' Cup."
Miss Monica also delivered her sire a first black-type winner on the big stage. Taylor Made Stallions' Early Voting now has the distinction of being the first of this year's freshman stallions to sire a grade 1 winner. The 2022 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, a son of Gun Runner , stood the 2026 season for a $12,500 fee.
Video: Del Mar Debutante S. (G1)
Observed Takes Del Mar Juvenile Turf
With one horse on the lead and the other at the rear, Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners was faced with some complicated rooting halfway through the $101,500 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3T) earlier on the Saturday program.
"It was bookends," Wellman said as he studied the replay. "We hadn't expected the one to be on the lead, and he went way too fast in the early quarter. The other one was bottled up at the back of the pack, so the pace did him a favor."
Itinerary was the horse up front, under Umberto Rispoli, while Observed was the one far behind, with Hernandez aboard. In between the two, favored Shadow Nation was getting a clean trip under Joel Rosario, without saving an inch of ground.
"Once I could see Umberto was out of horse on the lead, I saw Juan was loaded," Wellman said. "It was just a matter of him being able to extract Observed to make a run. When he did, he showed us a big turn of foot."
Observed came home in :11.26 through a final furlong at the end of the mile on firm turf to edge clear of a determined Shadow Nation by three-quarters of a length in 1:36.40.
"He settled in and kicked hard," said Mike Puype, Shadow Nation's trainer. "Pulling up, though, he was blowing hard, really hard. He'll be a lot tighter for the next one."
Observed and jockey Juan Hernandez win the Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes at Del Mar
It was another 1 length back to third-place Off in the Corner , who had opened up a wide lead inside the eighth pole but could not hold on.
Bridlewood Farm and Robert LaPenta share in the ownership of Observed with Eclipse.
In his first start for trainer Jonathan Thomas, Observed was an efficient winner of a maiden turf event around two turns at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
"He's a really neat little horse," said Thomas, who had been busy with a runner at Kentucky Downs earlier in the afternoon. Michael McCarthy, who trains Itinerary for the common ownership, deputized for Thomas.
"And he did a great job, I might add," Thomas said. "It seemed like with so many horses coming into the race out of sprints, there would be a lot of pace on. Our colt also had the foundation of having gone two turns, as well as that ability to rate."
Thomas, who will return to California with a stable in November, was not certain where Observed would run next. The Del Mar Juvenile Turf represents the first significant West Coast step toward the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), also at a mile, to be run Oct. 30 at Keeneland. The Zuma Beach Stakes (G3T) comes up next Oct. 4 at Santa Anita Park.
Observed is a bay son of Mandaloun🔥 who went for $240,000 out of the Hartwell Farm consignment at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Three races before Miss Monica's milestone win for her sire, Observed also became the first graded stakes winner for Mandaloun. A fourth-generation homebred for Juddmonte, dual grade 1 winner Mandaloun stood the 2026 breeding season for $10,000 at Juddmonte in Kentucky. The son of Into Mischief has already been represented by a black-type winner in dual stakes winner Book Value .