The Del Mar Debutante highlights the weekend and fans are probably looking at a short and sweet field. The Del Mar Debutante is carded for 2-year-old fillies at 7 furlongs, offers a $300,000 purse and will feature stakes winner Champagne Room and American Pharoah’s full-sister American Cleopatra.
American Gal is one of a number of Del Mar Debutante possible contenders that are trained by Bob Baffert, who has won this race 7 times. American Gal was no secret in her debut winning at first asking with an 82 Beyer Speed Figure. The place horse in that race was over 6 lengths clear of her nearest rival and American Gal has trained forwardly for the Deb. There is also class on the bottom of this pedigree. American Gal’s dam won 3 times and the dam is a sibling to multiple Grade 1 winner and over $700,000 earner Seventh Street.
Noted and Quoted could very likely have the closing duties of the Baffert runners in the Del Mar Debutante. She finished with interest in her debut after breaking poorly and sat 4th in her maiden breaker before drawing off to win by nearly 10 lengths with a 73 Beyer. Once again the bottom side of this pedigree is excellent. Noted and Quoted’s dam won a stakes but maybe more importantly is a sibling to a pair of runners that earned at least $450,000.
Morganite broke onto the racing scene winning her 5-furlong debut beating Champagne Room, who returned to win the Sorrento Stakes. Morganite has been given time to recoup from her first race and she has trained like the proverbial Swiss clock for the Del Mar Debutante. Trained by John Sadler, the conditioner has indicated his runner will excel as the distances increase.
Champagne Room cost $310,000 and she also has black type, which will help her attract sires in the breeding shed. Since winning the Sorrento she has been on her game. She drilled a best of the morning workout of :46 1/5 on August 27 and she has a solid stalk and kick style.
Miss Southern Miss settled mid-pack and rallied to win the debut, was bothered in her next start in a stakes and set the table for Champagne Room last time. The filly was over 4 lengths clear last time and she had legit trouble when she was steadied early on. Miss Southern Miss’s dam won stakes and banked nearly $300,000. If you go deep in Miss Southern Miss’s pedigree players will find Cotton Blossom, a Grade 1 winner and an over $700,000 earner.
Union Strike was picking up a bit of ground in the debut when second but could not collar American Cleopatra, who has every right to be a superstar.
How American Cleopatra paid 7-1 in her Del Mar debut, despite her stellar breeding, is anybody’s guess. She was on the muscle from the get go, and she has been put through her motions by Bob Baffert since. The filly had a maintenance drill 11 days after her winning opener. She returned 5 days later going 5 furlongs and then was given some experience in the gate, going 6 furlongs in 1:12 4/5 on August 22. On Monday, the 29th, American Cleopatra went a quick 5 furlongs in 1:00 2/5.
Baffert was not all that high on American Cleopatra before her debut because he figured, and probably rightfully so, that she would excel as the distances increased.
The winner of the Del Mar Debutante last year, Songbird, had also just won one race before the Del Mar Debutante. Songbird was sent along in the Deb, lost the lead briefly, responded and drew away to post an 85 Beyer. Songbird is a perfect 8 for 8 since and if American Cleopatra can live up to even half of that reputation, she will have an outstanding career.
American Cleopatra will have to have her running shows on though if she is to set the stakes record in the Del Mar Debutante. The stakes record was set back in the day when Call Now went 1:21 4/5 in 1994. Not one horse since has broken the 1:22 barrier in this race and may were not even close.
With a short field in prospect, expect the Del Mar Debutante to become a rider’s race with positioning, pace and smarts to be the order of the day.
