Desormeaux expecting more from Miss Southern Miss

DEL MAR, Calif. – Miss Southern Miss, who starts in Saturday’s $300,000 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies, has been a puzzle for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

She beat maidens in her debut at Santa Anita in June and was second in the Landaluce Stakes there in July and in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 6.

Desormeaux has expected better performances and is hoping the seven-furlong distance of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante will lead to a breakthrough stakes win for Miss Southern Miss.

“The distance will help,” Desormeaux said. “I know she’s better than she’s shown. She’s not finishing as well as she can.”

A good race in the Debutante will put her on course for the Grade 1 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt at Santa Anita on Oct. 1. Otherwise, Miss Southern Miss could try turf. By More Than Ready, she races for Peter Cantrell.

“I think she might be a little better on turf,” Desormeaux said. “The turf could be in her future. I have big expectations for this horse.”

The Debutante has a field of six probable starters, including Champagne Room, who won the Sorrento. Other candidates are the maiden-race winners American Cleopatra, Morganite, Holy Mosey and Noted and Quoted, and the maiden Union Strike, who was second to American Cleopatra on July 31.

Trainer Bob Baffert said on Wednesday that American Gal, a maiden-race winner Aug. 14, will miss the Debutante and be pointed for the Santa Anita autumn meeting, which begins Sept. 30.