Del Mar: Mandella has high hopes for 2-year-old first-timer

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DEL MAR, Calif. - Tiz the Key, a highly regarded Tiznow filly trained by Richard Mandella, makes her career debut in Sunday’s first race, which is for 2-year-old fillies.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Tiz the Key was purchased for $330,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale, and she has impressed Mandella with her recent workouts.

“She’s working really nice,” Mandella said on Friday. “She can really run.”

Sunday’s race drew six entrants, including Abide in Me, Secret Compass, and Spy Girl, who were second, fourth and sixth, respectively, in a maiden race at Hollywood Park on July 6.

Secret Compass is owned by Westrock Stables and trained by Bob Baffert, who teamed to win on Thursday with the 2-year-old maiden filly Cadron, by Broken Vow.

Cadron ran five furlongs in 58.80 seconds, and could start in the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 31.

O’Neill fined for medication violation

Trainer Doug O’Neill was fined $1,000 by Del Mar stewards on Thursday after one of his runners at Hollywood Park in June tested in excess of the permitted level of flunixin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.

[DEL MAR 2013: Complete meet coverage, schedule, race replays]

The overage was found in the post-race test taken from Basmati, who won the seventh race on June 7, an optional claiming race at six furlongs on turf with a purse of $60,920.