Mimajoon, Ellamira take split divisions of Golden Gate Debutante

One of racing's oldest axioms is pace makes the race, and that proved true as Mimajoon ($34) and Ellamira ($14.60) won the two divisions of the Golden Gate Debutante on Friday.

In the first division, Mimajoon grabbed an easy lead and was never seriously challenged as she beat favored stablemate Uncorked, who was making her career debut in the six-furlong stakes.

Ellamira sat behind a pressured pace in the second division, got first run in the stretch, and held off fast-finishing Code Ribbon. Ellamira's stablemate Sen Sen ran third.

Mimajoon had a faster opening quarter than stablemate and odds-on favorite Shoppingforpharoah did in the second race. But Mimajoon had a length lead in 21.72 over Baby Steps, who was being hard ridden and was beginning to fall back after a 45.40 opening half.

Mimajoon, who graduated in her Golden Gate Fields debut in her second start, was free and clear entering the stretch and was not seriously challenged by even-money stablemate Uncorked, winning by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:11.47. Uncorked broke a bit slowly in her debut and was last until reaching the stretch.

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“We knew she was fast, and she really ran good,” said Mimajoon's trainer Jonathan Wong.

Wong, who also trains Uncorked, found some positives in her race. “That race helped a lot, and she's still a maiden. She raced a little green, but this will be good for her.

Odds-on Shoppingforpharoah dueled head-and-head to the quarter pole with Royal O'Haigain just outside her. Their opening quarter was 21.82, but they clocked 45.33 for the opening half.

Rosie O'Haigain cracked first, but Shoppingforpharoah was also tiring as the two faded to last and next-to-last.

“They went too fast,” said Wong, Shoppingforpharoah's trainer.

Ellamira's trainer, Steve Specht, agreed with pace-makes-the-race assessment.

“Those two went out flying. I liked the way mine ran in the lane, but at the end I wasn't sure I was going to win.”

Ellamira, who sat in fourth early, was moving best into the lane and quickly went past stablemate Sen Sen, who took the lead between calls at the top of the lane. Ellamria held on gamely, holding off Code Ribbon by a head to win in 1:11.41 with Sen Sen running third another 1 1/2 lengths back. Specht also trained Tam's Little Angel, who was third in the first division, which was contested by only five fillies after two vet scratches.

Mimajoon, owned and bred by Scott Herbertson, earned $30,250 for her first stakes victory and now has a career bankroll of $48,750. She's by Fed Biz out of the unraced Indian Charlie mare Sister Charlie.

Ellamira, a Cole Ranch homebred by Street Boss out of the Ghostzapper mare Tuesdays With P, earned $39,400, lifting her career earnings to $71,310.