By Alan Carasso
It's been nearly 30 years since trainer Bob Baffert won his first GI Del Mar Debutante Stakes with Batroyale back in 1995. The Hall of Fame conditioner looks to have a stranglehold on this year's renewal of the seven-furlong contest, as he sends out a pair of big-money fillies, each campaigned by previous Debutante scorers.
Front and center is 'TDN Rising Star' Nooni (Win Win Win), the $1.8-million topper from this year's OBS March Sale, who looks to become the second winner of the event in the last four years for Zedan Racing Stables, who also sent out 2020 OBS April topper and fellow 'Rising Star' Princess Noor (Not This Time) to take that year's Debutante. While the latter returned on short rest to dismantle her field, Nooni has two starts under her belt, a towering maiden success at Santa Anita June 13 ahead of a 1 1/2-length defeat of the re-opposing Vodka With a Twist (Thousand Words) in the local GIII Sorrento Stakes Aug. 10.
Tenma (Nyquist) made $850,000 at this year's OBS April Sale and showed plenty of grit in graduating by a neck going 5 1/2 furlongs Aug. 14. The dark bay races in the colors of Baoma Corp., whose Bast (Uncle Mo) aired by nearly nine lengths in the 2019 Debutante.
Drawn outside in the field of seven is 'TDN Rising Star' Jack's Magic Girl (Good Magic), who proved a professional winner of her one-mile debut over the local turf course Aug. 3. Connections give Saturday's Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf a miss in favor of this Grade I test on the main track, a surface over which she has always trained very well.
The afternoon's other graded stakes is the GII John C. Mabee Stakes, which very much looks like a two-horse race between Anisette (GB) (Awtaad {Ire}), winner of three straight and six of eight on this circuit, and Didia (Arg) (Orpen), victorious in the GI New York Stakes two starts back and exiting a close fourth in the GI Diana Stakes at Saratoga July 13.
Pair of BC Challenge Races Among Six KD Stakes
It's another big afternoon of racing at Kentucky Downs, with six graded stakes on tap, including a couple of Breeders' Cup spots up for grabs.
The $2-million GII Ainsworth Turf Sprint–with a spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint on the line–has lured this country's top grass sprinter in the form of Cogburn (Not This Time), winner of five of his six starts since switching surfaces, chief among them that jaw-dropping performance in the GI Jaipur Stakes at Saratoga June 8 where he completed the 5 1/2 furlongs in an other-worldly :59.80. His lone defeat on the turf happened to come in this event 12 months ago, where he was only fifth in a blanket finish behind Gear Jockey (Twirling Candy)–who was winning the race for the second time in three years–and One Timer (Trappe Shot), winner of the 2022 GII Franklin-Simpson Stakes.
Nobals (Noble Mission {GB}) was just beaten by Cogburn in the 2023 GIII Troy Stakes at the Spa, but won the Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial the following month before scoring at 12-1 in the Turf Sprint. The bay returned from a near nine-month absence to be a good fourth in a salty Saratoga allowance July 28 and can improve for the comebacker.
Fitri Hay's Khaadem (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) has just two wins from his last dozen starts, but they are a pair of doozies–an 80-1 upset of the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot last June before successfully defending in that test at odds of 14-1 this year.
The GII Turf Cup, which offers the winner a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Turf, welcomes back its defending champ in the form of Get Smokin (Get Stormy), who proved not for catching when attempting this 12-furlong distance for the first time last September. His last-out victory in the July 20 GII United Nations Stakes has been flattered by a pair of subsequent stakes winners and he'll try to play catch me if you can, though the similarly speedy Balladeer (Distorted Humor) could be a fly in the ointment.
Integration (Quality Road) is the 8-5 favorite on the morning line, but he tries to negotiate a mile and four furlongs for the first time in his career, having finished a sound second to Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the GI Arlington Million Aug. 11.
Chief Little Rock (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was a close third to recent GIII Nashville Derby winner Bellum Justum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the Listed Blue Riband Trial at Epsom Apr. 23 and was the easy winner of the G3 Gallinule Stakes at the Curragh before struggling home 12th in the G2 King Edward VII Stakes at the Royal Meeting June 21. The competition is considerably lighter here, but the hurdles are not insignificant.
A field of 12 will head to the gate for this year's Franklin-Simpson, which carries Grade I status for the first time. Speed has been playing favorably over the course of the first few days of the meeting at Kentucky Downs, and that could play into the hands of the fleet Joe Shiesty (Air Force Blue). Having employed front-running tactics to win a pair of races over the Turfway synthetic track over the winter, the bay gelding ran them off their feet in the May 1 William Walker Stakes at Churchill Downs. He stubbed his toe when seventh against his elders in the KD Preview Turf Sprint at Ellis Aug. 4, but he is back with his own age group today and is capable of an upset. Mansa Musa (Ire) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) was second to the outstanding filly Star of Mystery (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) in Saratoga's GIII Quick Call Stakes July 14, finishing one spot ahead of Fandom (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), who turned the tables in the Mahony Stakes Aug. 11. Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) graduated by a big margin over the Gulfstream Tapeta June 22 and exits a troubled fourth in the Mahony.
Resolute Racing's Pounce (Lookin At Lucky) rates the marquee in the GII Music City Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs and she cuts back in trip off a victory in the one-mile GIII Lake George Stakes at Saratoga July 20. Vive Veuve (Collected) charged home to be third in the Lake George, while Canadian raider Time to Dazzle (Not This Time) is a threat if running back to her 11-1 upset of the GIII Ontario Colleen Stakes at Woodbine July 27.
One More Go On the Grass For the Virginia Derby
During last month's Arlington Million program, it was revealed that the 2025 Virginia Derby will be staged during a March mini-meet at Colonial Downs on the main track as a qualifying points race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. A field of 12 that lacks a true standout is set to load the gate for Saturday's final renewal over the inner turf course in New Kent County.
'TDN Rising Star' Deterministic (Liam's Map) is the 3-1 morning-line favorite and looked a real candidate for the Classics when running out a two-length winner of the GIII Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct in March. Well-beaten in two subsequent tries on the dirt, the $625,000 Keeneland September grad has shown promise on the grass, finishing second to Neat (Constitution) in the GIII Manila Stakes on June 29 ahead of a third to Carson's Run (Cupid) in the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Aug. 11. He is capable, but needs to show he can finish the job.
Should he falter, Florida invader Grand Mo the First (Uncle Mo) could prove the beneficiary. A distant third in the GI Curlin Florida Derby and never a factor in the GI Kentucky Derby, he made a smooth transition to the turf with a battling success in the Aug. 3 Bears Den Stakes at Gulfstream. Others in with a fighting chance include Zverev (Oscar Performance), a troubled sixth to Neat in the GII Hall of Fame Stakes Aug. 2; and Herchee (Twirling Candy), perfect in two starts and cross-entered for Sunday's $1.5-million Gun Runner Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
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