Baffert Fillies Lead Parade of Debutante Hopefuls

The calendar has slipped into September, which means all thoughts must turn to the 2-year-old Thoroughbreds poised to carry so many hopes and dreams on their immature young shoulders. But hey—they cost $100 million at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale of yearlings, and another $72 million last March during the Ocala Breeders' Sales March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale. So, it's time to put the kids to work. Southern California kicks off a flurry of holiday weekend 2-year-old events with the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes (G3T) Sept. 5. There are 10 fillies entered to go 7 furlongs in the Debutante, and 10 males of one kind or another looking at a mile in the Juvenile Turf. Seven of the 10 in the Debutante were bought at sales, ranging from the $850,000 spent in April by Mike Pegram and partners to buy Miss Monica to the $15,000 price tag for Crazy Hot Mess during session 11 of last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Two of the three homebreds in the field—Well Versed and Dear Diary—are trained by Richard Mandella and likely were romping together in a field at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky this time last year. Both one-race maidens, they are daughters of Spendthrift's champion stallion Into Mischief, also trained in his day by Mandella. "They both showed a lot of promise and ran well in their first starts," Mandella said. "I think they both have a lot of room to step up." Mandella's history in the Debutante is nothing if not memorable. He won the race in 2003 with Halfbridled, who went on to be the division champion, and again in 2023 with Tamara, a daughter of four-time champion Beholder. "I thought I won it that day with Beholder, too," Mandella said, referring to her narrow loss in 2012 to the Bob Baffert filly Executiveprivilege. "At least it looked that way from where I was sitting," Mandella said. "I started celebrating, and my son, Gary, said, 'Dad, you better settle down and wait for the photo.'" Both of the Spendthrift-Mandella fillies ran second in their debuts. Dear Diary, with her three distinctive white anklets, was a close second going 5 1/2 furlongs, while Well Versed was second to Miss Monica going 6 1/2 furlongs. "The little filly banged into the side of the gate coming away from there and lost her footing," Mandella said, referring to Dear Diary. "Then she flew home the last part. "The other one is a great big filly and just needed the race," he added. "She ran good enough." Miss Monica, a daughter of Early Voting, is the likely favorite based on that impressive, 5 3/4-length maiden score in her only start for Baffert, who has already won the Debutante 12 times, including the two most recent runnings with Bottle of Rouge and Tenma. Baffert also entered Holmby, winner of the Sorrento Stakes (G3) in her last start for By Talla Racing. As for the bargain filly, Crazy Hot Mess won a $100,000 maiden race at Ellis Park and then finished third to Holmby in the Sorrento for Peter Miller, who has two Debutante winners to his credit. The trainer is realistic about his prospects for a third. "If both of the Bafferts run and all of the Kentucky fillies make it here, I'd be happy to finish third," Miller said. "My filly's at least earned a chance." With its tempting grade 1 rating, the Debutante attracted three from the Midwest. Panda Listen, winner of the Miss Ohio Stakes at Thistledown, and Ellis Park maiden winner Fast Amy were entered by Brendan Walsh, while For the Win, second in the Ellis Park Debutante Stakes, is trained by George Weaver. Free Closer, a Reddam Racing homebred trained by Michael McCarthy, won Del Mar's California Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Stakes for California-bred or -sired fillies by a whopping 8 1/4 lengths. Earlier on the same Aug. 2 program, Avalon Rose threw her hat into the Debutante ring with a 3 1/4-length maiden win for the Bob Hess barn. Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes Going a bit more than once around on Del Mar's 7 1/2-furlong course looks like a mad scramble in the Juvenile Turf. The winner definitely will be wearing his lucky horseshoes. Off in the Corner (by Karakontie (JPN)), Golden Sentry (Halladay), and the Irish colt Shadow Nation (IRE) (Sioux Nation) all have won maiden sprints on the grass. Fair enough. But the key race could be the Del Mar maiden test on turf, Aug. 15, in which seven young lads had a chance to stretch their wings going a mile. Dang Son (Good Magic) circled the pack to win by a length over Automatic Press (Vekoma), who did all the dirty work on the pace and then was disqualified to fourth for an unfortunate lean to the right. Itinerary (Quality Road) was sixth under the line that day, beaten just 2 lengths, and could be primed by McCarthy to follow in the footsteps of such classy 2-year-old turf runners as Stark Contrast and Endlessly. He cost Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and associates $600,000 as a yearling. Eclipse, Bridlewood Farm, and Robert LaPenta also have Observed (Mandaloun) in the Juvenile Turf, representing the far-flung Jonathan Thomas stable. Observed made a down payment on his $240,000 yearling price by winning a two-turn turf race at Horseshoe Indianapolis in his first start Aug. 4. The field is completed by the maidens Cosmic Charlie (Bolt d'Oro), third to Off in the Corner; Hoaxer (Charlatan), also third in his only start and coming back for Baffert in just nine days; and Missed Fortune (Pavel), second by just a neck going a mile on the Del Mar turf Aug. 20. Dang Son is cross-entered in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) on the main track Sept. 6.