Miss Sunset beats first timer How About Zero in Generous Portion

Miss Sunset, the 1-2 favorite on the basis of her career debut which she won stylishly by four and three-quarter lengths, improved on that performance Saturday with an easy victory in the $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes for California-bred two-year-old fillies.

 

Ridden confidently by jockey Fernando Perez, Miss Sunset took charge in the stretch and was unthreatened in scoring by five and one-quarter lengths in 1:10.46 for the six furlongs.

 

How About Zero, making her first start, ran creditably to be second, five and one-half lengths in front of Rocketann in the field of six fillies.

 

Miss Sunset, a daughter of Into Mischief owned by Klein and Lebherz and trained by Jeff Bonde, rewarded her supports with an across the board payoff of $3, $2.60 and $2.20 while earning $85,500. How About Zero, who was piloted by Mario Gutierrez, returned $4.40 and $3.20, while Rocketann paid $5.80 to show.

 

Flavien Prat, leading rider this summer at Del Mar, stretched his margin in the standings with a quadruple aboard Above Board at $3.20 in the second, Thunder Basin at $11.60 in the fourth, Nodiac at $3.60 in the seventh and Life’s Blessings at $3.40 in the ninth.  He now has 33 victories, six more than defending champion Rafael Bejarano, who competed at Saratoga Saturday, and Santiago Gonzalez.

 

FERNANDO PEREZ (Miss Sunset, winner) – “Jeff (trainer Jeff Bonde) told me before that I had lots of speed in the race and that I just need to be smart with her. She broke well and I got a good spot. The last time she was outside and she went as fast as she could as soon as she could. Today we were inside and she relaxed more. She’s a nice filly.”

MARIO GUTIERREZ (How About Zero, second) – “She ran well. It was a good learning experience for her.”

TIAGO PEREIRA (Rocketann, third) – “Good race for her. She tried real hard.”

 

JEFF BONDE  (Miss Sunset, winner) -- “We thought our other horse (You’re Late) would show speed, but she stumbled out of the gate and that was that. We told (jockey Fernando Perez) not to burn her up early, which he did not, and she ran strong the whole way. I don’t think she has distance limitations. It looked like she finished very strong to me.” 

 

 

FRACTIONS:  :22.19  :45.82  :57.79  1:10.46

 

The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Perez and his first in the Generous Portion. He now has two (CTBA Stakes on My Fiona in 2014) stakes wins at Del Mar.

 

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Bonde, but his second (Sierra Sweetie in 2005) in the Generous Portion. He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.