Del Mar: Baffert seeks 12th Debutante; Mabee defender is back
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert tries to add to his 11 victories in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies, and Hang the Moon is back to defend in the $250,000 John C. Mabee Stakes (G2) for fillies and mares Saturday at Del Mar.
Eleven races will be presented on the final Saturday of the summer meet beginning with a first post of 4:30 p.m. EDT. The Debutante is at 7:38 p.m., and the Mabee is scheduled for 8:38 p.m.
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Baffert sends out Debutante trio
Baffert has three chances to make it a dozen wins in the seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante. He has the lone stakes winner in the field, Baoma Corp’s $900,000 2-year-old purchase Himika. She has won both of her starts by daylight, including a maiden special weight at Santa Anita in June and the Sorrento Stakes (G3) at Del Mar on Aug. 10.
Baffert also trains Explora for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. She was a smart winner in her debut against straight maidens Aug. 17 and has been named the 8-5 morning-line favorite on the strength of that victory. He also trains Natalie Baffert’s Bottle of Rouge, who won for fun at Del Mar in her second outing Aug. 9.
2025 Del Mar Debutante G1
| No. | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last start | Morn. line |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Explora Blame |
6.12 | Bob Baffert Juan Hernández |
1st, DMR MSW (8/17/25-R2) | 8-5 | |
| Last race | 1st, DMR MSW (8/17/25-R2) | |||||
| 2 | Himika Curlin |
7.17 | Bob Baffert Kazushi Kimura |
1st, 2025 Sorrento G3 | 2-1 | |
| Last race | 1st, 2025 Sorrento G3 | |||||
| 3 | Fourlynnes Tom’s d’Etat |
Luis Méndez Héctor Berrios |
1st, Dmr mdn clmg (8/28/25-R5) | 20-1 | ||
| Last race | 1st, DMR mdn clmg (8/28/25-R5) | |||||
| 4 | Grandma Mary Bolt d’Oro |
Mick Ruis Sr. Ricardo González |
2nd, DMR MSW (8/2/25-R6) | 8-1 | ||
| Last race | 2nd, DMR MSW (8/2/25-R6) | |||||
| 5 | Bottle of Rouge Vino Rosso |
6.12 | Bob Baffert Mike Smith |
1st, DMR MSW (8/9/25-R2) | 5-1 | |
| Last race | 1st, DMR MSW (8/9/25-R2) | |||||
| 6 | La Wally Constitution |
6.12 | Mark Glatt Antonio Fresu |
1st, DMR MSW (7/19/25-R6) | 10-1 | |
| Last race | 1st, DMR MSW (7/19/25-R6) | |||||
| 7 | Bourbon and Ginger Bolt d’Oro |
6.12 | Richard Mandella Mirco Demuro |
1st, DMR MSW (8/2/25-R6) | 8-1 | |
| Last race | 1st, DMR MSW (8/2/25-R6) | |||||
Hang the Moon goes for Mabee repeat
Last year’s winner Hang the Moon is one of nine distaffers in the 68th running of the John C. Mabee at nine grassy furlongs.
Owned by CJ Thoroughbreds, Hang the Moon won both the Mabee and the Rodeo Drive (G2) last fall but has been winless in three starts since. Her repeat bid in the Mabee will be her second start of her 5-year-old season after a third-place finish in the Yellow Ribbon (G2) on Aug. 9.
Medoro, the morning-line favorite at 5-2, trained by Peter Eurton for C R K Stable. She comes into the race off of a win in the Osunitas on July 30 at Del Mar, the first start of her 4-year-old campaign. As a 3-year-old she won the Providencia (G3) at Santa Anita and also finished in the money in both the Del Mar Oaks (G1) and the American Oaks (G1).
Gimme a Nother, trained by Graham Motion for Newstead Stables, also is in the hunt. She started her career with seven straight victories in South Africa. Although she has yet to win in four North America outings, she has been second in graded-stakes company three times including missing by a head last out in the Canadian (G2) at Woodbine.