Pretty N Cool, unbeaten in two starts, including an easy victory in the Sorrento Stakes, will put her perfect record on the line Saturday when she heads a strong field of 11 two-year-old fillies in the 65th running of the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs.
Pretty N Cool, a $160,000 yearling owned by Pegram, Watson and Weitman, figures to be a solid favorite to provide trainer Bob Baffert with his eighth triumph in the Debutante. D. Wayne Lukas has the record for Debutante wins at nine. Martin Garcia again has the mount on the Scat Daddy filly who won her first race July 19 and then returned August 12 to capture the Sorrento Stakes by almost three lengths.
Returning to try Pretty N Cool again will be the two-three-four finishers in the Sorrento, Gomo (Alex Solis), One True Kiss (Joe Talamo) and Right There (Kent Desormeaux). Earning their way into the Debutante field with impressive maiden wins are Come to Mischief (Gary Stevens), Land Over Sea (Mario Gutierrez), Surfside Tiara (Rafael Bejarano), My Dynamo (Fernando Perez), Mitzi Winks (Drayden Van Dyke) and Songbird (Mike Smith).
Stays in Vegas (Flavien Prat) is a two-time stakes winner, winning the Juan Gonzalez Memorial at Pleasanton and the Wine Country Debutante Stakes at Santa Rosa.
Jerry Hollendorfer, Del Mar’s leading trainer this summer, will send out three in the Debutante – Surfside Tiara, Stays in Vegas and Songbird, while Doug O’Neill has two entrants, Gomo and Mitzi Winks.
Supporting feature on an 11-race program beginning at 2 p.m. Saturday will be the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Turf for two-year-olds at one mile on the grass. Entered are 11 youngsters – I’malreadythere, Swiss Minister, Hollywood Don, Dubdubwatson, Mr Notorious, Getoffmyback, Annie’s Candy, Rare Candy, Go Long, Tiz a Billy and Hot Ore, with three on an also-eligible list – Recalibrating, Dressed in Hermes and Aztec Warrior.