Spectator leaves us wanting more in the Sorrento
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Tomorrow's stars are just beginning to make themselves known. When promising young two-year-olds win with enthusiasm, they carry all the potential in the world. So it was this afternoon at Del Mar, as Spectator ran away and hid from her competition in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes. On the wire, the Phil D’Amato trained filly was 5 1/4-lengths clear of her closest competitor.
Potential is a wonderful thing. You never know just how far it is going to carry you. After the race, her red-hot trainer said, "She’s just a bunch of raw talent and she’s getting better and better.”
Sent off at 4-1, under Jamie Theriot, the daughter of Jimmy Creed pressed the pace of race favorite, Surrender Now through sharp early fractions of :21.93 and :45.05 seconds. By the time the field hit the turn, the favorite was ready to call it quits.
Spectator was quick to take the lead, but still had longshot Terra's Angel breathing down her neck. That challenge did not last long, though. Spectator exploded away from her, and the rest of the field, as soon as she hit the straightaway of the stretch. From there, it was just a matter of what the final margin would be.
The winning rider liked not only what he rode today, but also the future for the promising young chestnut filly. “She was a runner all the way," said Theriot. "She broke sharp and she went on with it. Phil (trainer D’Amato) said ‘Ride it as it comes up.’ That’s what I did. I think she’ll run on, too.”
Final time for the 6 1/2 furlongs over the fast main track at Del Mar was 1:17.66. Dancing Belle, another longshot, finished second, more than four lengths clear of third-place Terra’s Angel, who in turn was 6 1/4-lengths in front of the $1.7 million purchase, Diamondsandpearls.
Spectator (Jimmy Creed--Diva's Tribute, by Henny Hughes) is a Rick and Sharon Waller homebred. She raised her record to a perfect 2-for-2, having also won her debut easily, six weeks ago at Santa Anita. The Sorrento victory gave her Spendthrift Farm standing sire his first stakes winner today.
“After she broke her maiden the way she did, we just kind of let her grow up these past few weeks," remarked D'Amato. "This (race) has been on the radar from the get-go and we just let her mature and she sure did. She’s still trying to figure it out in some ways."
As the third choice in the field of seven, Spectator returned $10.40, $4.40, and $3.80 across the board. The exacta and the trifecta, with a pair of longshots running second and third, were good for $108.40 and $1,815.20 respectively.
The future looks nothing but bright for Spectator. Look for her in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on September 2 as the likely next start for this exciting and undefeated filly.
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