A longshot European ready to make a splash in her U.S. debut and a hotshot maiden who pulled off a rare feat command attention in this week’s notebook, which includes 3-year-old fillies, 2-year-old colts, handicapping angles, and betting scores. Time to jump in. European filly to watch in Oaks Few horses are as internationally connected as the filly Txope. Bred and raced in France, a Group 2 winner in Germany, and recently purchased for $1.2 million by a Chinese billionaire who owns a large breeding farm in Australia, Txope makes her U.S. debut in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on Saturday. She might be worth a longshot stab. Txope arrived in California in early July to point specifically to the Oaks, trainer John Sadler said. She was acquired by billionaire businessman/breeder Yuesheng Zhang at the June-July Arqana Summer Sale in France. :: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now! In California, Txope initially galloped for two weeks, then worked three times over the Del Mar turf course, twice with jockey Florent Geroux. “He likes her,” Sadler said. “She’s been running [in Europe], and acts pretty fit. I think she’ll run well, that’s for sure.” Txope toyed with a workmate in her final drill last Sunday. Txope, 3 for 12 with French form that includes a stakes win and Group 3 second, won the Group 2 German 1000 Guineas last out. The 1 1/8-mile Oaks will be her first start beyond one mile, and she faces favorites Spendarella, Cairo Memories, and Bellabel. Txope would be the first to win the Del Mar Oaks in her U.S. debut since 2001 winner Golden Apples ($44) and 2000 winner No Matter What ($34.80). Triple-digit Beyer debut Summer 2-year-olds rarely do what Cave Rock did Aug. 13 at Del Mar – win first out with a gawdy triple-digit Beyer. A colt by Arrogate, Cave Rock (101 Beyer) was just the 12th juvenile since 2000 to earn a Beyer of 100 or more in a career debut prior to October. From the 10 that ran back, only Bro Lo in 2005 earned a higher fig next out (101 to 103). Uncle Mo and Havana (both 102) won the Grade 1 Champagne in 2010 and 2013, respectively, while declining eight and nine points. Uncle Mo rebounded with a 108 winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Overdriven (100) regressed seven points and won the Grade 2 Sanford in 2011; Kauai Katie (100) regressed 17 points and won the Grade 2 Adirondack in 2012. In High Gear, Warners, Frisco Star, Secret Gypsy, Discreet Cat, and 2022 maiden winner Munnys Gold also earned triple-digit debut Beyers in summer. As for Cave Rock, he looks odds-on for the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 11. Following the money Update on the most expensive 2-year-olds at Del Mar: Hejazi ($3.55 million) is nearing a debut for Bob Baffert after a five-furlong bullet gate work Aug. 12. Ultimate Gamble ($1.75 million) finished a respectable fourth to Cave Rock first out. “He’s a two-turn horse,” said Ultimate Gamble’s trainer, Mark Glatt. His 75-Beyer debut was promising. Nuclear ($1.55 million) has tender shins that will postpone his debut. “He’s training every day, but we stopped on the breezes,” trainer John Sadler said. Nuclear could make his debut in fall. Don Corleone ($1.2 million) worked a half-mile from the gate Aug. 14 as trainer Simon Callaghan tightens the screws. The Big Wam aiming high It was not the highest-rated Graduation Stakes for Cal-bred 2-year-olds, nor the lowest. The Big Wam earned a 73 Beyer Aug. 12 at Del Mar, best by a Graduation winner in six years. Although The Big Wam would fit best in the I’m Smokin for Cal-breds on Sept. 6., the Del Mar Futurity is being discussed. That is a tall order. Only one Futurity winner since 2000 entered with a lower figure than The Big Wam (Rolling Fog, 62 Beyer in 2012). The Big Wam, who earned 73 and 74 Beyers in his two most recent starts, is up against it in the Futurity. Beyer Fig doesn’t tell story Addendum to previous item: The Big Wam overcame adversity in the Graduation that is not reflected in the Beyer Figure. He was bumped at the break, steadied, shuffled back, ran four wide through the turn, floated wider into the lane, and was on his wrong lead to the wire. He won anyway. The Big Wam is a longshot in the Futurity, but his Graduation figure would have been much higher with a less-eventful trip. The same can be said about Big Hopes, the Aug. 13 debut-winning filly whose 51 Beyer does not reflect her troubled trip. She would fit Sept. 5 in the Generous Portion for Cal-bred 2-year-old fillies. Best Pal fun facts Say this about Grade 3 Best Pal winner Havnameltdown – the 2-year-old is quick. He zipped the fastest first quarter of the Del Mar meet for six furlongs (21.74) on his way to an 81 Beyer win on Aug. 14. Relevance to be determined. Speaking of the Best Pal, 2020 winner Weston is the only horse to win the race, lose his next nine starts, then win at Great Falls in Montana. Weston won the Best Pal for trainer Ryan Hanson; he won a $3,700 Great Falls allowance July 16 for Ryan’s brother, trainer Mark Hanson. Weston won by more than 12 lengths and paid $5.40. Quite an overlay, in hindsight. Exacta play in Alabama Favorites won the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes six of the last nine years, and it’s tough to see Nest getting beat Saturday at Saratoga following her romp in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks. What’s not tough to see in the Alabama is for Secret Oath to repeat her double-digit loss to Nest. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets. A skeptic may wonder if Secret Oath, likely second favorite in the Alabama, is over the top. Only seven runners are expected, but the Alabama might be worth betting on the notion that Nest is a layup and Secret Oath is dubious. If seven start, the play is a Todd Pletcher exacta – Nest over habitual bridesmaid Goddess of Fire. Oaks-Plate double not a rarity Surprised to learn the most productive prep for the Queen’s Plate in recent years is a race restricted to fillies. Four of the last 11 winners exited the Woodbine Oaks, a race Moira crushed this year. She runs in the Queen’s Plate on Sunday at Woodbine, and her double-digit Oaks win combined with a gender weight break suggest she will give Marine Stakes winner Rondure all he can handle in the 163rd Queen’s Plate. Moira will try to join recent Queen’s Plate winners exiting the Woodbine Oaks – Inglorious (2011), Lexie Lou (2014), Holy Helena (2017), and Wonder Gadot (2018). Top horses by any name You rarely see stakes horses with identical names in simultaneous campaigns, such as Artorius in New York and Artorius in England, France, and Australia. The 3-year-old colt Artorius is a stakes winner by Arrogate who runs Aug. 27 in the Travers. The 4-year-old colt Artorius, an Australian-bred by Flying Artie, is a Group 1 sprint winner in Australia and Group 1-placed in Europe. He has won two races and $1.3 million from 14 starts. Artorius recently returned to Australia from Europe to prepare for a fall campaign. Coming through on favorites Juan Hernandez pulled clear in the Del Mar standings with 27 wins through Sunday; Umberto Rispoli has 15. It helps Hernandez that more than one-third of his mounts were favored. Through Aug. 14, eight jockeys had ridden eight or more favorites. Their record with favorites: Hernandez (15 for 36), Rispoli (7 for 20), Florent Geroux (3 for 12), Ramon Vazquez (4 for 11), Edwin Maldonado (5 for 9), Mario Gutierrez (2 for 9), Abel Cedillo (1 for 9), and Kyle Frey (2 for 8). Ryan Curatolo is 3 for 3 with chalk. Exploring the ‘only’ angle Handicapping angles are often silly, and mostly futile. Others are silly, but marginally interesting. That includes the “only” angle – a lone entrant with a specific trait. Recent past-post examples include Spirit of Makena ($85.20), the only 4-year-old in a Del Mar maiden race for 3-year-olds and older Aug. 5, and Sunrise Journey ($23), the only horse entered for the optional claim tag in the eighth race Aug. 12. Other categories apply to maidens: only first-timer, or only maiden runner with racing experience. Neige Blanche, who races without Lasix, does not need the “only” angle in the CTT & TOC Stakes Friday at Del Mar. She is favored based on the fundamentals of class, speed, and pace. It so happens she is the only entrant in the stakes race who is not coming off Lasix. Big hit at Emerald Downs One bettor scooped the entire pick-four pool Sunday at Emerald Downs, an all-stakes sequence that ended with second choice Slew’s Tiz Whiz ($8.80) winning the Longacres Mile. The first three legs were tough: Tiz a Macho Girl ($45), Zippin Sevenz ($49), and You’re the Cause ($115.40). Going into the last leg, the TVG bettor’s $216 ticket (50-cent minimum, 4 x 4 x 9 x 3) was the only live ticket. The 50-cent payoff: $67,847.