Perfect Curls has much going for her in Wine Country

Although trainer Cliff Delima feels confident about Perfect Curl’s chances to repeat her Juan Gonzalez Memorial Stakes victory in Saturday’s $50,000 Wine Country Debutante at the Sonoma County Fair, he’s taking no chances.

Normally based at Pleasanton, Delima brought Perfect Curls to the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa, Calif., along with stablemate Tiz Blushing, and has worked both 2-year-old fillies over the track.

Perfect Curls, who has won her past two starts after finishing second in her debut, had a bullet five-furlong workout, covering the distance in 1:00.80 while finishing strong.

“It’s important in a sense,” Delima said about the prerace work over the track. “They get to see the racetrack and see things around the track.”

Tiz Blushing trailed her stablemate in her first two starts and then won start No. 3 despite being bothered at the head of the stretch. She also has been entered in the Wine Country and worked in 1:03 for five furlongs last Friday and three furlongs in 37.40 Wednesday. Delima said he was a little happier with the second work.

“She’s a little on the lazy side,” said Delima, who added that he expects both his fillies to run well.

Perfect Curls has already defeated her main rival in Saturday’s six-furlong race, Rockin Heather. Rockin Heather set the pace in the Juan Gonzalez at Pleasanton, but was quickly gobbled up in the lane and finished third, beaten 5 3/4 lengths.

Since then Rockin Heather has finished third in the CTBA Stakes at Del Mar, again setting the pace and holding on much better to lose by only three-quarters of a length.

Rockin Heather should be able to get the lead, although Queen of Tahoe also has speed plus an advantageous outside draw. She graduated when running for a $25,000 tag at Pleasanton.

But the race could prove another romp for Perfect Curls.

She won her maiden in wire-to-wire style but stalked the pace in the Juan Gonzalez, and Delima said he expects her to do the same on Saturday. He also thinks she’ll like the six-furlong distance of the Wine Country better than the 5 1/2 of the Gonzalez.

Bad Girl Bad Girl, a maiden winner in her last start, and the maiden Beautiful Rags round out the field.