Nooni brings high hopes into Saturday’s Del Mar Debutante

With a 2-for-2 record and a $1.8 million price tag, Nooni carries high expectations Saturday into the 74th running of the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Debutante.

The seven-furlong race for seven 2-year-old fillies is the feature on the next to last day of summer racing at Del Mar. As the fourth race, it is expected to start after 6 p.m. EDT with the first post for the 11-race card coming at 4:30 p.m.

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Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who trains Nooni, has won the Debutante a record 10 times, most recently in 2021 with Grace Adler. He and Amr Zedan, whose Zedan Racing Stables own Nooni, teamed with Baffert to win the 2020 renewal with Princess Noor.

Bred in Florida, Nooni is a Win Win Win filly who finished first in her five-furlong debut by 9 1/2 lengths June 13 at Santa Anita. She then won by 1 1/2 lengths Aug. 10 in the Sorrento (G3) going six furlongs at Del Mar. That performance earned her an 81 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

With Del Mar’s leading jockey Juan Hernández looking for his first win in the Debutante, Nooni will start from post 2.

Baffert also entered Tenma, who won by a neck in her debut Aug. 18 at Del Mar.

Nine Debutante winners went on to become Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old fillies, most recently Songbird in 2015. She also was the last of five victors in this race who would finish first in the Breeders’ Juvenile Fillies. The only Debutante-Kentucky Oaks (G1) double was in 1993-94 with Sardula.