Del Mar: Sunday Rules jumps from maiden win to Generous Portion

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DEL MAR, Calif. – High expectations turned to reality when Sunday Rules won a maiden special weight race for California-bred 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar in her debut Aug. 3.

“She flew around the track,” trainer Mike Mitchell said. “She blew us away. It was not a surprise, but it made me very happy.”

Sunday Rules was a 5-1 shot when she won by 4 1/2 lengths. She will be favored when she makes her first start in a stakes in Wednesday’s $150,000 Generous Portion Stakes for 2-year-old California-bred fillies at Del Mar.

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

“It’s a shot you have to take,” Mitchell said of the jump from a maiden race to a stakes. “She came out of the race great.”

Owned by her breeder, Nick Alexander, Sunday Rules is part of a field of six in the Generous Portion, run over six furlongs on the synthetic main track. Edwin Maldonado, who was aboard for the win in the maiden race, retains the mount on Sunday Rules. Maldonado is likely to have Sunday Rules disputing the pace.

“I think she can do what she wants,” Mitchell said. “She’s always shown good speed in the mornings.”

Sunday Rules may not face much pressure in the opening quarter-mile of the Generous Portion. Other contenders such as Moving Desert and Feature Attraction run from off the pace.

The field includes Time for Angie, third in the Cavonnier Juvenile Stakes against males at Santa Rosa on Aug. 11; Whatsallthedrama, who won a $50,000 claimer for California-bred maiden fillies at Del Mar on Aug. 1; and Rovenna, who won her debut at Calder on July 19.

Moving Desert finished second in the Graduation Stakes against California-bred males July 31, her first start against winners. She beat California-bred maiden fillies in a five-furlong race here July 17 in her third start. Owned by her breeder, John Harris, and trained by Blake Heap, Moving Desert ran in the Graduation instead of just training through much of August, Heap said.

“Instead of working her four times, I thought I’d run her,” Heap said.

Heap said that Moving Desert is a threat from off the pace.

“She can do what you want,” Heap said. “I want to teach her to sit back and wait and make a run.”

Feature Attraction was sixth in her debut Aug. 3 and rebounded to win a maiden race for California-bred fillies Aug. 17. She closed from third in a field of 10 with a wide move to pull a 19-1 upset, and owner-trainer Mike Harrington thinks she can improve in the Generous Portion.

Feature Attraction starts from the outside, which pleased Harrington.

“I like the draw,” Harrington said.