High-priced Mirahmadi makes debut in Fasig-Tipton Futurity

ARCADIA, Calif. – Maidens outnumber winners in $100,000 stakes for 2-year-olds Saturday at Santa Anita, where small fields in the Fasig-Tipton Debutante and Fasig-Tipton Futurity include a total of six maidens and five winners.

Five fillies entered the race-3 Debutante, including the highest-rated juvenile winners in California this season. Becky’s Dream earned an 80 Beyer Speed Figure first out; Crazy Hot earned a 72. Grand Slam Smile won her debut at Golden Gate; Motet and Stormy Gal are first-time starters.

Four of the six colts in the race-7 Futurity are maidens, including the most expensive juvenile starter in California this year. Mirahmadi, purchased for $1,050,000 as a yearling, makes his career debut against California-bred debut winners Refocus and Going Mobile. Other entrants are first-time starters Harry Houdini and Next Level, and stakes-placed maiden Tranche.

Becky’s Dream and Mirahmadi share more than key roles in the five-furlong stakes. Both went through the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, both are named for people. Becky’s Dream, listed as sold for $15,000, was named after Becky Rodriguez, late partner and girlfriend of trainer Hector Palma; Mirahmadi was named for track announcer Frank Mirahmadi.

Palma said Debutante contender Becky’s Dream “is a small filly, she only weighs 800-and-some pounds.” Small and mighty. Becky’s Dream won her debut by more than three lengths, no surprise to Palma.

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“She was working real good. She’s doing the same” now, he said.

Palma said he and Becky Rodriguez never married. “Forty-two years together, what do you need a piece of paper for?” Tiago Pereira rides Becky’s Dream, who drew the rail in the Debutante after winning her debut from an outside post. Beyond challenging post, she faces a top rival.

Crazy Hot was the first of three juvenile debut winners this meet trained by Jeff Bonde. She won by more than 10 lengths. Bonde said Crazy Hot “came out of the race well, she’s doing well.” Giovanni Franco rides Crazy Hot, who breaks from post 4.

Debutante favorites Becky’s Dream and Crazy Hot try to extend a streak of predictability. The first 13 juvenile races this meet produced seven winning favorites, five second-choice winners. While the Debutante boils down to a match race between two impressive winners, the Futurity is a contrast between known and unknown – debut winner Refocus and the unraced Mirahmadi.

Refocus won first out for trainer Doug O’Neill in 52.08 seconds, the fastest 4 1/2 furlongs of the meet. Refocus, sired by first-crop stallion Pavel, earned a 69 Beyer defeating next-out winner Last Call London by more than four lengths. Mario Gutierrez rides Refocus.

Mirahmadi lacks afternoon racing experience, but he worked fast in company for Bob Baffert. Workout videos on XBTV.com show the colt blowing away unraced 3-year-old Confucius in a 58.80-second gate workout June 5, followed by a solo work June 12. Juan Hernandez rides Mirahmadi.

Winning a stakes race first time out is not unprecedented. One year ago, debut filly Stone Silent defeated a shallow field in the Fasig-Tipton Debutante. Mirahmadi faces a similarly shallow field in the Futurity, three of the six runners are first-time starters.

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