'Champagne' Seeks Del Mar Double in Debutante

Trainer Peter Eurton admits he had to be convinced to run Champagne Room in the Aug. 6 Sorrento Stakes (gr. II) at Del Mar.

The Broken Vow   filly showed talent in her July 16 maiden special weight debut at the seaside oval, but was likely hampered by her rail draw in a second-place finish, and Eurton was ready to skip the Sorrento and train up to the Sept. 3 Del Mar Debutante (gr. I).

"After thinking about it, the Sorrento really didn't seem like a bad springboard to the Debutante," Eurton said of the series for 2-year-old fillies, which has been swept only three times since 2000 (Mi Sueno in 2009, Executiveprivilege in 2012, and Sunset Glow in 2014). "I was going to reenact what we did with (2011 Debutante winner) Weemissfrankie, but the timeframe worked out really well."

Eurton's flexibility paid off, as Champagne Room broke her maiden in the grade II event by 1 1/4 lengths and now heads a field of the most impressive fillies from Del Mar's loaded 2-year-old summer slate in the Debutante.

BALAN: Champagne Room Breaks Maiden in Sorrento

"We have three grade Is (the Debutante, Chandelier, and Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies), which are my focus, but you can't take (the Sorrento) away from her now," said Eurton, who described the filly as "high as a Georgia Pine" and said she is the largest 2-year-old of 25 in his barn, by far. "She owns that now. I have no indication outwardly that she won't fire her best."

But the challengers appear stout, most notably a Zayat Stables homebred trained by Bob Baffert with royal blood.

American Cleopatra, a full sister to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  , impressed with a two-length victory in her July 31 debut at Del Mar, off at a now seemingly ludicrous price of 7-1, and should garner significantly more attention in her second start.

BALAN: American Pharoah's Sis Wins in Del Mar Debut

Also entered is the filly who defeated Champagne Room in her debut, Hronis Racing's Morganite, a daughter of Gemologist   trained by John Sadler who has taken a break from racing since her July 16 debut victory by 1 1/2 lengths at five furlongs.

The most visually impressive last-out winner entered is another Baffert trainee, Noted and Quoted, who bounced back from a fourth-place finish behind Morganite and Champagne Room in her debut to win a six-furlong maiden special weight race by 9 1/2 lengths Aug. 7.

Peter Cantrell's Miss Southern Miss is the only other filly with stakes experience. The Keith Desormeaux-trained daughter of More Than Ready   came in second behind Champagne Room after a squeezed start in the Sorrento, and also finished second in the Landaluce Stakes July 9 at Santa Anita Park.

Aug. 4 maiden claiming winner Holy Mosey, trained by Molly Pearson, and maiden Union Strike, who ran second to American Cleopatra in her debut, complete the field.