Executiveprivilege Doesn't Disappoint in Sorrento
Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s Executiveprivilege, the 2-5 favorite under Rafael Bejarano, made it three-for-three in her brief career Wednesday with a workmanlike victory in the featured Grade III $150,000 Sorrento Stakes for two-year-old fillies.
Prominent from the start of the 6 ½ furlong sprint, Executiveprivilege asserted her superiority at the head of the stretch in taking command and kept to her task in winning by a length and one-quarter in 1:16.98 for the 6 ½ furlongs.
Speedinthruthecity, ridden by Joe Talamo, was runner-up, two and one-half lengths ahead of Switch to the Lead in a field of eight juvenile fillies.
Executiveprivilege, from the power-laden barn of trainer Bob Baffert, is a daughter of First Samurai purchased for $650,000 at a two-year-olds in training auction last April.
First prize of $90,000 pushed her earnings to $210,000 and ensured that she will be the strong favorite in the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante Saturday, September 1 at seven furlongs.
The winner, who scored in the Landaluce Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park July 14, returned $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10 to her backers in a crowd of 12,142. Because of heavy wagering to show on the winner, there was a minus pool of $9,198.
Speedinthruthecity paid $4.40 and $3.40, while Switch to the Lead returned $4 to show.
Executiveprivilege provided Bejarano with his eighth stakes success from 17 added money events thus far this summer at Del Mar. The record for most stakes wins in a Del Mar meeting is 12 shared by four riders.
Through 16 days of the season, Bejarano leads Garrett Gomez by a single victory, 24-23. Gomez doubled Wednesday, aboard Apply in the second and Swift Eagle in the sixth.
With a carryover of $257, 477 from Sunday’s program, $1.604,176 in “new” money was bet in Wednesday’s Pick Six for a total pool of $1,861,653. There were 77 perfect tickets and each returned $14,472.80.