Promising group of juvenile fillies meet in maiden race
Earlier this year, the filly Bicameral was listed as a buyback for $120,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in training.
“We didn’t want to give her away,” trainer Richard Baltas said Thursday. “We didn’t get what we wanted.”
Retained by owner Calvin Nguyen, Bicameral is part of what could develop into a talented field of 2-year-old fillies in a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs on Saturday at Del Mar. The race could produce a few starters for the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs on Sept. 5.
Aside from Bicameral, there are notable first-time starters in the field of eight such as Mirasol (trained by Bob Baffert), Dance to the Music (Mark Glatt), Mitigation (John Shirreffs), and Honor It (Richard Mandella).
Bicameral, by Constitution, was purchased by Nguyen for $100,000 as a yearling. The filly has worked well at the San Luis Rey Downs training center and at Del Mar in recent weeks, notably a half-mile in 47.40 seconds from the gate under jockey Mario Gutierrez on Monday at Del Mar.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she has talent,” Baltas said.
In the recent workout, Bicameral “broke a step slow,” Baltas said. In Saturday’s maiden race, Bicameral starts from post 3.
“She’ll have to break good,” Baltas said.
Mitigation, by Into Mischief, breaks from post 2 and is likely to be behind early. She starts between Mirasol, who has shown a series of quick workouts and will start from the inside position, and Bicameral.
Mitigation, bought for $430,000 as a yearling by Marty and Pam Wygod, was based at San Luis Rey Downs with trainer Cliff Sise until earlier this month when she was shipped to Shirreffs at Del Mar.
“She’s very level-headed, really nice,” Shirreffs said.
Mitigation worked a half-mile in 50 seconds on July 17, a workout that was not designed for speed.
“I worked her a half and she looked okay,” Shirreffs said. “We figure she’d already had enough for a five-and-a-half-furlong race.”
Mirasol is a half-brother to four stakes winners, notably four-time Grade 2 winner Mohaymen and 2013 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day. Mirasol will be ridden by Mike Smith.
Honor It, by Tapit, has a solid pattern of workouts and will be ridden by Flavien Prat. Honor It is out of With Honors, winner of the 2016 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Dance to the Music, by Maclean’s Music, drew post 6, which could be an advantage for jockey Abel Cedillo, if the fillies to the inside set a quick pace.
“She’s been very good from the gate and has good speed,” Glatt said. “That’s the beauty of drawing out instead of drawing inside, Cedillo will be able to negotiate a pretty good trip. If they’re going gangbusters, I don’t mind sitting just off of them.”
Owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal, Dance to the Music was purchased for $575,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in April.
“We’re excited to see her run,” Glatt said. “She was an expensive filly. She has not missed a beat since we brought her out.”
“She’s been very a laid-back filly, all class. She’s done what she’s been asked to do. When we started working her from the gate, although her gate works aren’t particular fast, she was really competitive and quick from the gate and very much in hand.”