Elm Drive tries to remain unbeaten in Del Mar Debutante
Unbeaten in two starts and already a graded stakes winner, Elm Drive has the temporary status as the leading 2-year-old filly in California. Sunday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante will determine the strength of that ranking going into the prestigious races of autumn.
On the track, Elm Drive has been perfect, and her mental side has been equally encouraging, trainer Phil D’Amato said.
“She acts like she knows when she’s galloping and when she needs to relax on her own, and when it’s game time in a breeze,” D’Amato said.
When race time has arrived, Elm Drive has delivered two outstanding performances, winning her debut by eight lengths in a maiden special race at five furlongs at Los Alamitos on June 26 and recording a hard-fought win by a head over Debutante rival Eda in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 6.
In the maiden race win, Elm Drive led throughout. She stalked the pace in the Sorrento.
“She can be very tactical,” D’Amato said. “If she wants to be on or near the lead, I believe she can do so. If she wants to come from the behind, she can do that.”
The options could work in jockey Juan Hernandez’s favor on Elm Drive in the $300,000 Debutante, which is run at seven furlongs and drew a fascinating field of eight.
Owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Elm Drive was purchased for $165,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale earlier this year.
“She just keeps coming on,” D’Amato said. “I couldn’t have asked more from her in her morning workouts. She gives me every indication that she is ready to roll.”
Elm Drive is one of two stakes winners in the lineup, along with At the Spa, who won the Fasig-Tipton Debutante against open company at Santa Anita in June and the California Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Stakes for statebred fillies at Del Mar on Aug. 5. Trained by Jorge Periban, At the Spa starts from the rail in the Debutante.
Eda, trained by Bob Baffert, will have a new rider for the Debutante. John Velazquez replaces Abel Cedillo, who was aboard Eda for her first two starts but will ride the promising maiden race winner Dance to the Music on Sunday.
Eda has yet to finish first. She was second by a nose in a maiden race in her debut in June at Santa Anita and promoted to first when a rival was disqualified for causing interference in the stretch. The Sorrento was her second start.
In the Debutante, Baffert also starts Grace Adler, a maiden race winner July 31 in her only start. Leading jockey Flavien Prat rides Grace Adler, who poses a threat from off the pace.
Myfavoritedaughter will have her first start in California in the Debutante after winning a seven-furlong maiden race at Gulfstream Park on June 30 by an astonishing 25 lengths.
Myfavoritedaughter led throughout, but trainer Jeff Engler predicts a stalking trip in the Debutante.
“She’s the kind of a filly that doesn’t like to be rushed,” he said. “We’ll let her sit where she sits. I think she’ll be comfortable sitting in midpack.”
The other two runners are Rock the Belles, who won a $150,000 claimer for maidens in her lone start on Aug. 14 and was supplemented to the Debutante for $10,000 on Thursday, and Bicameral, who was second to Dance to the Music in a maiden race on July 24 in her only start.
Dance to the Music, trained by Mark Glatt, won her only start. She set the pace before pulling clear to win by 4 3/4 lengths going 5 1/2 furlongs. Dance to the Music has given Glatt indications she has developed in recent weeks.
“She certainly has to take a step forward,” Glatt said. “Those fillies that have had a couple of races, even with 2-year-olds, even one more race is ever so important. They are a little bit more battle-tested. We don’t know what will happen to Dance to the Music when she gets looked in the eye. That may happen on Sunday.
“It would have been more favorable to have a second start, but we’re confident going in.”