Just a Smidge, Tyfosha likely to get rematch in stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – The 2-year-old filly Just a Smidge ran to expectations in Wednesday’s fifth race for maiden fillies at Del Mar, scoring a hard-fought win over Tyfosha in what could be a preview of major stakes for the division.

Just a Smidge, the 2-1 favorite, and Tyfosha were within a head of each other before Just a Smidge drew off in the last sixteenth to win the five-furlong race by 1 1/4 lengths in 58.12 seconds. Tyfosha, the 5-2 second choice, was 7 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Varanasi, the 7-2 third choice.

Just a Smidge was purchased for $425,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training in May. Just a Smidge races for Debbie Lanni and trainer Bob Baffert.

“We’ve been really high on her,” Baffert said. “We liked her in the sale, and she ran to her works. She wasn’t tired. She could go a lot farther.”

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Baffert may have a strong group of 2-year-old fillies. He also trains Diamondsandpearls, a $1.7 million purchase as a 2-year-old in training this year who won her debut at Santa Anita on July 2.

Diamondsandpearls is a candidate for the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 5. The main race for 2-year-old fillies at the Del Mar summer meeting is the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs Sept. 2.

Tyfosha is trained by Doug O’Neill, who has a promising juvenile in Gracida. Gracida will have his debut Saturday in a five-furlong maiden race.

Gracida was purchased for $400,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida sale of 2-year-olds in training in March. He drew the outside post in a field of nine.

The field includes Bahamian, a colt trained by Simon Callaghan who will also have his first start.

“We’ve always liked him,” Callaghan said. “We were going to run him at Santa Anita, but he got sick. We expect a good race.”