Seven Juvenile Fillies Clash in Sorrento

Seven lightly-raced but obviously talented two-year-old fillies, all of them with designs on the title-deciding Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Saturday, August 30, will take an important step toward that goal Wednesday in the Grade II $200,000 Sorrento Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs.

Expected to battle for favoritism are world traveler Sunset Glow (Victor Espinoza) and Caval (Elvis Trujillo).

Sunset Glow comes into the Sorrento Stakes from a runner-up placing versus 20 rivals in the six-furlong Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in England June 20. Previously, she broke her maiden at Belmont Park in New York. The gray daughter of Exchange Rate, who is trained by Wesley Ward, was a $140,000 Keeneland yearling buy.

Caval, a daughter of Blame purchased for $150,000 as a yearling at Keeneland, broke her maiden in brilliant fashion June 19 at Santa Anita, running five furlongs in a sparkling :56 3/5 in winning by 5 ½ lengths as an 11-10 favorite. She is trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer.

Opposing Sunset Glow and Caval will be four maiden race winners, Sharla Rae (Drayden Van Dyke), Conquest Eclipse (Mike Smith), Heart of Paradise (Joe Talamo) and La Grange (Kent Desormeaux). Making her career debut in the Sorrento will be Windy Forecast (Rafael Bejarano).