Arrogate's half-sister stands out among first-timers in opener

DEL MAR, Calif. – As pre-career expectations go, few scenarios at Del Mar this summer will be higher than what will accompany the 2-year-old filly Immediate Impact for her debut in Sunday’s first race.

Immediate Impact, by Into Mischief, is a half-sister to Arrogate, the 2016 champion 3-year-old male who won 7 of 11 starts and earned $17,422,600 in a two-year career.

Owned by Clearview Stables, Immediate Impact drew the outside post in a field of six in a maiden special weight race for fillies at 5 1/2 furlongs. Drayden Van Dyke, who has been aboard the filly in recent workouts, has the mount for Bob Baffert, who trained Arrogate.

“She does everything right in the morning,” Van Dyke said. “She broke well out of the gate and has had some solid times.”

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Immediate Impact has had two workouts since the Baffert stable relocated from Santa Anita to Del Mar earlier this month. On July 17, Immediate Impact worked six furlongs in 1:13 from the gate. On Tuesday, she worked a half-mile in 47.40, the fastest of 34 works that morning.

An outside draw in a small field will work for Immediate Impact, Van Dyke said. He can position the filly close to the front or race from a stalking position.

“We’re all but guaranteed there won’t be any kickback,” Van Dyke said.

A little after 8 a.m. on Friday, Cherokee Maiden bounded into trainer Dan Ward’s stable from the racetrack, accompanied by a pony. Cherokee Maiden, bought for $410,000 at the 2018 Keeneland September yearling sale and owned by Michael Stinson, also will have her debut in Sunday’s first race.

“I’ve seen her get a lot more aggressive as she gets fitter,” Ward said. “She’s starting to figure out what it’s all about.”

Last Sunday, Cherokee Maiden had her final workout for Sunday’s race, going five furlongs from the gate in 1:01.60.

“She had an impressive work on this track – the gate, the workout, and the gallop-out were very nice,” Ward said. “She was on the inside in the work the other day, and it didn’t bother her at all.”

All six of the fillies in Sunday’s race are first-time starters. Richard Mandella runs Nora’s Joy, a Street Sense filly purchased for $175,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale last August.

“She’s working well, but she’s a long-legged filly and she might like it more when they go longer,” Mandella said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s better next time.”