Head to Head: Baffert brings 3 to Del Mar Debutante

Laurie

Ashley

1. Explora (8-5)

Explora took control at the start of her 5 1/2-furlong debut. After a first quarter in 21.94 seconds, she kept rolling through a half in 44.81, five furlongs in 57.05 and strolled under the wire by 4 3/4 lengths in a paid workout in 1:03.15 while Juan Hernandez had his head on a swivel looking for the competition. The Bob Baffert trainee earned a 98 Brisnet Speed Rating, and her 90 late-pace figure is the Debutante field’s highest. By Blame, Explora is out of the winning Bernardini mare Collections Choice. Her second dam, Model, was multiple Grade 1-placed up to 1 3/16 miles and placed behind Life is Sweet and Zenyatta. Bob Baffert gave Explora a pre-race five-furlong move in 1:00.20 in company with the 3-year-old maiden Caitlin Fever. Beginning about four lengths behind, Explora caught and passed her rival without being asked. She is a professional, long-striding filly. Contender.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Explora was a runaway winner in her debut, winning a 5 1/2-furlong maiden event by 4 3/4 lengths. She was the heavy betting favorite and received a sparkling 98 Brisnet Speed Rating despite hardly being asked for any effort. Since that race was just contested on Aug. 17, none from the field have made subsequent starts. Baffert is 28% wins with a 65% in-the-money clip with runners racing off an 8- to 30-day turnaround in the last five years. With 2-year-olds, those numbers go to 30% and 69%. J.J. Hernandez gets the return call. Contender.

2. Himika (2-1)

Sorrento (G3) heroine Himika has won her two starts by a combined 10 1/4 lengths, so it’s interesting that her regular jock, Juan Hernandez, sticks with Explora. Himika got a lesson in the Sorrento. She broke well from the rail and it appeared that she would settle behind the pacesetters. But Hernandez had other ideas, as he shook the reins and tapped her on the shoulder. Himika immediately responded. She split the pair in front of her and squeezed through an opening between the dueling pacesetters. It was all over by the top of the stretch as Himika opened up by 4 1/4 lengths. She completed six furlongs in 1:10.61 with a 12.97 final furlong, good enough for a 96 Brisnet rating, a two-point improvement over her debut. By Curlin, Himika is out of the stakes-placed Into Mischief mare Motivated Seller. Himika’s second dam Coup is a stakes winner at 1 1/16 miles. Bob Baffer’s charge worked a pre-race bullet five furlongs in 58.60 in a solo move. She’s professional with a smooth gait. Contender.

Also from the Baffert barn, Himika is undefeated in two career starts. She defeated Bottle of Rouge by six lengths in her debut, a five-furlong event. Bottle of Rouge was an easy next-out winner, as was fourth-place finisher Stuffy Mist, though in claiming company. Himika then just as easily won the six-furlong Sorrento. Fourth-place finisher My Kat, the only filly in the field to make a subsequent start, then was a well-beaten seventh in the Generous Portion Stakes for California-bred fillies. Himika received a 94 Brisnet Speed Rating for her debut and a 96 for the Sorrento. She exited the Sorrento in fine fettle and drilled a bullet five-furlong work in 58.60. Kazushi Kimura replaces J.J. Hernandez, who will ride Explora. Contender.

3. Fourlynnes (20-1)

Fourlynnes didn’t show much in her one-mile turf debut. It was a tough place to make her initial start as she switched to dirt and shortened to six furlongs against $32,000 maiden claimers. Fourlynnes was in another ZIP code behind the early pace, 10 1/2 lengths out of it. She wove through rush-hour traffic to win by 1 1/4 lengths, stopping the clock at 1:12.85 with a 13.36 final furlong. By Tom’s d’Etat, Fourlynnes is out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Classic Joy. The second generation includes Canadian black-type earners Regal Conqueror; her son, the multiple graded turf router English Conqueror; and second dam, multiple Group stakes-winning turf router Classic Stamp. Fourlynnes has Rasmussen Factor inbreeding, meaning she's inbred to the same superior mare within five generations, through siblings or half-siblings, through the sire and dam’s side. She is inbred to the reine-de-course, or superior mare, No Class, through her daughter, Classy ‘N Smart, the dam of Curlin who is Tom’s d’Etat’s sire, and Classy ‘N Smart’s half-brother Regal Classic, Fourlynnes’ second damsire. The Luis Mendez trainee earned a 66 speed rating and returns in nine days. She has a later-maturing pedigree and might want to be a turf router when she grows up. Pass.

Trained by Luis Mendez, Fourlynnes disastrously debuted on the turf, finishing last of nine and beaten by 22 lengths. Nothing has come out of that race except for Fourlynnes, who did win at second asking while transferring to dirt and dropping into claiming company. She earned just a 66 Brisnet Speed Rating for that race. Mendez, whose lone graded-stakes victory came with Dr. Schivel in the 2020 Del Mar Futurity (G1), is 10% wins with a 20% in-the-money clip in graded stakes in the last five years, according to Race Lens. Fourlynnes last raced on Aug. 28, and Mendez is 33% wins with a 56% in-the-money rate with runners racing off a one- to 10-day turnaround over the last five years. Hector Berrios, who will be the filly’s third jockey in as many starts, has the mount. Pass.

4. Grandma Mary (8-1)

In her debut, Grandma Mary had a lot going on in her head. She didn’t look happy sitting behind the pace, ran with her head up with a choppy stride for the entire race and ducked from the crop in the stretch. When Grandma Mary focused late, she got into gear but couldn’t catch Bourbon and Ginger. By Bolt d’Oro out of the unraced Pioneerof the Nile mare, Mary Edna. Second dam is multiple stakes winner R Gypsy Gold, a half to multiple graded winners Golden Lad and multiple graded-winning sprinter-miler,Broadway’s Alibi, dam of two-time champion sprinter Elite Power. The Mick Ruis Sr. charge earned a 78 speed rating, with an even 86 late-pace figure. Grandma Mary had a pre-race five-furlong move in 1:00 with blinkers. Compared to previous works and her race, she appeared more relaxed with the blinkers, kept a straight path with a smoother, longer stride. Extra distance should help Grandma Mary. Exotics.

Trained by Mick Ruis Sr., Grandma Mary was second on debut, missing by just a half-length to Bourbon and Ginger in a 5 1/2-furlong event. Grandma Mary found her best stride late, and the wire came too quickly for her to get past Bourbon and Ginger. It was a solid effort, but she received just a 78 Brisnet Speed Rating. One filly from that field ran third in her next start. Three other fillies switched to turf for their next outing and ended up all facing each other again, with Umbralle, who was third against Bourbon and Ginger and Grandma Mary, finishing second. Ruis will add blinkers for the Debutante and is 0% wins with a 13% in-the-money rate with first time blinkers in the last five years. Ricardo Gonzalez has the return call. Exotics.

5. Bottle of Rouge (5-1)

In her debut, Bottle of Rouge  watched stablemate Himika’s tail fade into the distance six lengths ahead. No matter, Bottle of Rouge returned at 6 1/2 furlongs and led the field on a merry chase, winning her second start by 6 1/2 lengths. She dueled though a half in 45.18, then found another gear and left the field in the dust, despite not switching leads until late. The pretty gray filly completed 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.91, earning a 91 speed rating with an 88 late-pace figure. By Vino Rosso, Bottle of Rouge is out of the Bluegrass Cat mare Blues Corner, who is a half to Grade 3 winner Sa Pablos, a multiple stakes winner at 1 1/8 miles. Bottle of Rouge had a pre-race five-furlong spin in 1:10.20 inside Balboa, an $875,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase who captured his second start by 7 3/4 lengths. I expect we’ll see him in the Futurity. The pair started together and were soon joined by an unnamed horse who squeezed through on the rail. Bottle of Rouge took it all in stride and kept going without incident. Contender.

The third filly from the Baffert barn, Bottle of Rouge debuted second against stablemate Himika. She was a bit green in the beginning stages of the race and initially brought up the rear. She got in gear in the stretch and proved best of the rest while never threatening Himika. Bottle of Rouge was the easy winner of her second start, cruising to a 6 3/4-length victory in a 6 1/2-furlong event as the even-money favorite. None from that field have made subsequent starts. Bottle of Rouge’s Brisnet Speed Rating improved from an 83 to a 91. Mike Smith, who will be the filly’s third jockey in as many starts, has the mount. Exotics.

6. La Wally (10-1)

La Wally rated behind the dueling pacesetters in her five-furlong debut, although she was three wide the entire way. She offered a thrilling finish, getting the victory by a nose in 58.25 with a 12.64 final furlong. She earned an 88 speed rating and an 86 late-pace figure. By Constitution out of the winning Gemologist mare, Moonstone, La Wally has little black type in the first three generations of her distaff line. Her dam is half to a Grade 3 sprinter, Mojovation. But the extended pedigree includes the multiple Grade 1-placed stakes veteran Crafty C. T. Mark Glatt gave La Wally a pre-race five-furlong move in 59.60 outside the older starter allowance winner Yellow Sun Dress. La Wally began a few lengths behind, then sprinted away within a few yards of the wire under a hand ride. La Wally is comfortable rating behind horses, and her pedigree suggests that she’ll enjoy the extra distance. Exotics.

Trained by Mark Glatt, La Wally won her debut by a nose after tracking the early pace. She earned an 88 Brisnet Speed Rating. Third-place finisher Thank You India was third next out in the Sorrento (G3), fifth-place finisher Super Corredora and eighth-place finisher Not Happy were second and sixth, respectively, next out to Bottle of Rouge, and last-place finisher Pride of Queens was a next-out winner at the claiming level. Glatt is 12% wins with a 40% in-the-money clip in graded stakes in the last five years. Antonio Fresu gets the return call. Exotics.

7. Bourbon and Ginger (8-1)

Bourbon and Ginger was more professional than Grandma Mary in their debut. Bourbon and Ginger tracked the pacesetter, took the lead after a half mile, and held on by a half-length, stoping the clock at 1:05.04. She earned a 79 speed rating, and her 83 late-pace figure is the lowest in the Debutante field. Also by Bolt d’Oro, Bourbon and Ginger is half to Demoiselle (G2) heroine Life Talk, who also placed in the Frizette (G1). Richard Mandella gave Bourbon and Ginger a pair of stamina works, including a second-to-last six-furlong move, and finished up with a solo bullet four-furlong work in 47.60, so she should be fit for the Debutante. Exotics.

Trained by Richard Mandella, Bourbon and Ginger was a half-length winner over Grandma Mary in her debut. As Laurie said, she was more professional than the runner-up, which likely preserved the win for her. She earned a Brisnet Speed Rating of 79, just one tick higher than Grandma Mary. Mandella is 18% wins with a 50% in-the-money rate in graded stakes in the last five years. Mirco Demuro, a celebrated jockey in Italy and Japan who has yet to win a graded race in the U.S., has the return call. Exotics.