Holmby, Ruiva head sterling field of six in Sorrento Stakes
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Before Holmby won her debut in a maiden race on July 18, jockey Juan Hernandez had a world of confidence in the 2-year-old filly. Hernandez had good sources – the team at trainer Bob Baffert’s stable.
“The barn loved this filly,” he said.
Holmby takes her flourishing reputation into a highly competitive running of the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs at Del Mar on Sunday. The $150,000 dirt race, the first open-company stakes of the year for 2-year-old fillies in California, drew an intriguing field of six that has a slightly international flavor.
Holmby, who races for Michael Talla, drew post 5 and is expected to be forward early. In her debut, she led throughout, pulling clear in the final furlong by 2 1/4 lengths.
“She won easily,” Hernandez said. “She won the race out of the gate, and after that, she was really comfortable.”
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To do the same in the Sorrento Stakes, Holmby must overcome an expected early challenge from Belleza Latina, who won a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race at Churchill Downs on June 13 by leading throughout; Ruiva, who has raced well in Kentucky and in Britain; and Blockade, who led throughout a five-furlong maiden race at Los Alamitos on June 26 to win by eight lengths.
Hernandez will be tasked with conserving some of Holmby’s energy if the pace is hot. Hernandez and Baffert have teamed to win the last two runnings of the Sorrento. Hernandez has three career wins in the race, all in this decade, while Baffert has a record nine wins in the Sorrento since 1991.
Ruiva, trained by Wesley Ward in Kentucky, led throughout a maiden race on a sealed and sloppy track at Churchill on April 29, drawing clear by seven lengths. Ruiva followed with a third-place finish by two lengths under Hernandez in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at five furlongs at Royal Ascot in Britain on June 17.
In that race, on a straightaway turf course, Ruiva was part of a field of 27. She led a group of 16 that raced closest to the grandstand rail and was caught in the final sixteenth, losing to Victorious, who is undefeated in three starts.
The Queen Mary Stakes has been productive. Senorita Bonita, who finished second, returned to win the Group 2 Duchess of Cambridge Stakes at six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse on July 10. Pershaada and Crownbreaker, who finished fourth and fifth in the Queen Mary, won stakes in Britain and France in their next starts.
Since returning to the United States, Ruiva has had four workouts at Keeneland, the most recent of which was a five-furlong breeze in 1:00.60 on July 31. Mike Smith rides Ruiva on Sunday.
Belleza Latina was trained by Carlos Munoz for her June 13 win and has since been moved to trainer Peter Miller.
“Belleza Latina is very fast, very quick,” Miller said. “We’re not sure how far she wants to go.”
On Sunday, Miller also starts Crazy Hot Mess, the debut winner of a maiden race on a sealed and sloppy track at 6 1/2 furlongs at Ellis Park on July 12. Crazy Hot Mess is expected to race from a stalking position.
“I think we’ll run one up on the pace and another will be coming from off it,” Miller said.
The Sorrento field has a maiden in Dash, who was fourth behind Holmby on July 18 after a slow start. Dash worked a half-mile from the gate in 47.20 seconds at Del Mar last Sunday, giving trainer Michael McCarthy hope she can be a factor in the Sorrento from an inside post.
“She worked from the gate and she broke just fine,” McCarthy said. “She didn’t break that well [on July 18]. If she broke well, it could have made things close.”