First-timer has right stuff at fair

In a stakes that has been won by first-time starters in two of the last four runnings, Sweet Baguette has the pedigree to win Saturday's $50,000 Juan Gonzalez Memorial, a 5 1/2-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Calif.

In 2006, the Jeff Bonde-trained Untouched Talent won the Juan Gonzalez in her debut. In 2008, John Anderson won the race with first-timer Congo Kaye. Bonde, who won both 2-year-old stakes at this meet last year and five of the last seven 2-year-old stakes at Pleasanton, does not have an entrant in Saturday's race.

Trained by Dean Pederson, Sweet Baguette is a half-sister to Sourdough Sam, Northern California's top 2-year-old last year. She is by Redattore, a millionaire who won Grade 1's in his native Brazil and in the United States, and out of the General Meeting mare General Luster. Sweet Baguette has three siblings, each of whom is a winner. Her siblings Tizwar and Sourdough Sam are both stakes winners.

Sweet Baguette has worked steadily with 12 drills, missing one drill in a weekly pattern that began April 4. She had a 59.60 five-furlong work June 13 that was the third-best of 52 runners at Golden Gate Fields and followed with another strong five-furlong work from the gate.

"She's done well, and I think the farther she goes, the better she'll be," Pederson said. "She's not a Quarter Horse type."

Sweet Baguette will generate interest because Sourdough Sam won 3 of 4 starts as a 2-year-old and ran second in the other.

Nine fillies are entered in the Juan Gonzalez, including the Bud Klokstad-trained entry of Candied Hearts, who won her only start in a two-furlong race at Santa Anita, and Alpine Z, third in both her starts, including here last Saturday.

Six of the fillies in the field have won a race.

Seethe Girlgo finished fifth in the June 9 Cinderella at Hollywood Park, and Rockin Heather was seventh in the Cinderella after setting the pace.

Perfect Curls, who is stabled at Pleasanton, ran second in her debut after having to steady midway around the turn. She lost by three-quarters of a length to Cata Mia, who led the whole way. Perfect Curls was not headed in winning her second start.

Mark in Monterey won her only start, which came in a $32,000 claimer.