Pedigree Stars: 4 fillies to watch in the Debutante Stakes

The $150,000 2021 Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs attracted ten 2-year-old fillies, who all stretch to six furlongs for the first time. Previous Debutante winners have gone on to win and place in stakes at Saratoga. 2018’s Debutante heroine Restless Rider finished second in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Race Keys

•  Nine of the last ten Debutante winners won their previous start.        
• Favorites captured the last three editions.
  
• Two were conditioned by Ken McPeek and one by Steve Asmussen.

This is a closely matched field; all ten won their last start. However, four stand out, and I like them in the order listed.

Tizplenty (Speightstown - Plenty O'Toole, by Tiznow) won in fine fashion second time out. Quickly establishing the lead, she refused to yield to Lady Scarlet, who hounded Tizplenty the entire way. The Asmussen trainee traveled five-furlongs in a blazing :57:56. Tizplenty looked professional, switching leads properly and keeping to her lane. In her previous start, Tizplenty finished third to Ontheonesandtwos.

Tizplenty is a half-sister to the multiple Grade 3-winning miler, Mr. Money, who earned over $1.3 million in 18 starts. This is the distaff line of multiple Grade 1 winning handicap horse Well Armed and Grade-1 winning turf miler American Patriot.

Wicked Halo (Gun Runner - Just Wicked, by Tapit) showed them how it’s done at Lone Star. The Asmussen trainee got the five furlongs in a sharp :57.77 over a muddy track. Breaking from post #2, she quickly grabbed the lead and was never seriously challenged. Reminiscent of her sire, Wicked Halo stretches out her body when she runs.

Wicked Halo is a member of Horse of the Year Gun Runner’s first crop. Her dam Just Wicked won the Adirondack (G2), and Just Wicked’s full sister My Miss Lilly won the Gazelle (G2) at nine furlongs. A full brother, Wicked Indeed, placed in the nine-furlong Mine That Bird Derby.

Ontheonesandtwos (Jimmy Creed - Cue the Moon, by Malibu Moon) pressed Tizplenty on the lead before turning back her rival to win by 1 3/4-lengths getting five furlongs in 57.67. The Norm Casse trainee switched to her left lead briefly in the stretch but kept a straight path.

Ontheonesandtwos’ dam Cue the Moon placed in the Tempted Stakes (G3) as a juvenile and was third in the nine-furlong Gulfstream Oaks (G3) at three. Ontheonesandtwos is a descendant of the hard-knocking producer Clever Bertie, whose offspring include multiple Grade 1 winning turf router Beach Patrol and the multiple graded winners Allamerican Bertie and Hurricane Bertie.

Behave Virginia (Unified - She's Behaving, by Mineshaft) was pressured early but cut loose in the stretch to win by   She got 5 1/2-furlongs in 1:04.15 under a hand ride. It was a professional effort, as the Ken McPeek trainee stayed on the correct lead and in her own lane.

Behave Virginia is the first runner from Grade 2 winner Unified’s first crop. Her dam is a half-sister to the precocious Changing Weather, who placed in the Belmont Futurity (G2) and won the Matt Winn at three. Their half-sister Sidney Jacobson placed in the Moccasin Stakes as a 2-year-old.