By Jill Williams
Dreamfyre (f, 2, Flameaway–Appreciating, by Sky Mesa) may not have been the GIII Sorrento S. favorite behind 'TDN Rising Star' Benedetta (City of Light) and flashy Baffert/Zedan runner Dua (Arrogate), but she ran like it, controlling the 2-year-old filly contest from pillar to post.
In Del Mar's co-feature Saturday, Dreamfyre broke like a shot from the inside post and immediately put daylight on the rest, clicking off early fractions in :21.74 and :45.10. Benedetta and Dua followed with the rest of the field stretched out well behind.
Coming off the turn, Benedetta tried to make a race of it from the outside, but Dreamfyre repulsed her and drifted out, opening up a spot for Dua on the rail. After five furlongs in a sizzling :57.57, Dreamfyre sailed for home 3 1/2 lengths the best as Benedetta held second by 7 1/4 lengths over Dua. The rest never cracked the top three.
“She's fast, I knew it,” said trainer O.J. Jauregui, who was winning his first-ever Del Mar stakes. “That's why I brought her here for the meeting. Usually I have my barn in Northern California. She's been doing everything right and I expected her to run a very honest race. She got a little breather about the five-sixteenths going to the quarter pole, so I knew I had a chance. She kicked right in and she ran really big.”
John Oxley bred Dreamfyre in Kentucky and sold her as a yearling at Keeneland September to Lehigh for $130,000. The dark bay changed hands again as an OBS Spring 2-year-old, going to Northern California's Danny Eplin for $140,000 post sale after working a furlong in :9 4/5. She debuted for Eplin July 9 at Pleasanton against colts in the Everett Nevin S., winning by a smart 3 1/2 lengths after setting all the pace to become her freshman sire's first stakes winner. The Sorrento was her second career start.
#2 DREAMFYRE ($9.20) wins the (GIII) 🏆 Sorrento Stakes, presented by @KeenelandSales.
She was confidently ridden to victory by @HIBerrios for trainer @ojjauregui. Congratulations to owner @DanEplin! pic.twitter.com/FgEUuX5wGe— TVG (@TVG) August 12, 2023
Pedigree Notes:
It's been a good week at Del Mar for Darby Dan's first-crop stallion Flameway, who got his first 'TDN Rising Star' Aug. 6 with Julias Dream and added his first graded winner Saturday with Dreamfyre. The son of Scat Daddy has nine winners to date in this initial crop. Interestingly, two of those nine are out of Sky Mesa mares, and three more are also out of mares by A.P. Indy-line sires. The still-active Sky Mesa, who is 23 and stands at Three Chimneys, has 36 stakes winners out of his daughters.
Appreciating, third in the GII Natalma S. a decade ago, is also the dam of 2020's GI Starlet S. third Nasreddine (Nyquist). She's a half to GSW Buddy's Humor (Distorted Humor) and to the dam of 2016 GI Just a Game S. winner and $2.55-million Keeneland November mare Celestine, who is by Flameaway's sire Scat Daddy. Appreciating has a yearling full-sister to Dreamfyre and a filly born June 7 by Gun Runner.
Saturday, Del Mar
SORRENTO S. PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES-GIII, $201,000, Del Mar, 8-12, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:10.52, ft.
1–DREAMFYRE, 120, f, 2, by Flameaway
1st Dam: Appreciating (GSP, $105,093), by Sky Mesa
2nd Dam: Hello Barbara Sue, by Dehere
3rd Dam: Barbara Sue, by Big Spruce
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($130,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Danny A. Eplin; B-John C. Oxley (KY); T-O. J. Jauregui; J-Hector Isaac Berrios. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $165,000. *1/2 to Nasreddine (Nyquist), GISP. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Benedetta, 118, f, 2, City of Light–Tessie Flip, by Grand Slam. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($290,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $750,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR). O-Kaleem Shah, Inc.; B-Springhouse Farm & Dromoland Farm (KY); T-Simon Callaghan. $40,000. 'TDN Rising Star'
3–Dua, 120, f, 2, Arrogate–Attempt to Name, by Consolidator. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($400,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Zedan Racing Stables, Inc.; B-Wynnstay INC, Donna Moore & Jim Richardson (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $24,000.
Margins: 3HF, 7 1/4, HF. Odds: 3.60, 1.90, 1.90.
Also Ran: Motet, Ur in Trouble, Vinos Angel, Kythira. Scratched: Feisty Mitole.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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