With a race under her belt, and blinkers on, Bast much the best in Del Mar Debutante

DEL MAR, Calif. – Bast couldn’t quite catch the precocious Inspiressa when they both debuted on Aug. 11, but when the rematch happened on Saturday in the Grade 1, $301,053 Del Mar Debutante, Bast more than evened the score.

Bast, who sat a perfect trip under Drayden Van Dyke, roared past Inspiressa in upper stretch of the seven-furlong race and bounded clear to a lopsided, 8 3/4-length victory, stamping herself as not only the best 2-year-old filly in the West, but a major player for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies two months hence at Santa Anita.

The Debutante was only the second lifetime start for Bast, but this isn’t trainer Bob Baffert’s first time winning a Grade 1 race here with a maiden.

“The first was Pharoah,” he said, referring to American Pharoah, who won the Del Mar Futurity in 2014.

Bast, Baffert said, “needed her first start,” in which the daughter of Uncle Mo finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Inspiressa going 5 1/2 furlongs.

“I wanted to get a race into her,” he said. “She needed one more work, but sometimes it’s better to run them.”

It was a means to an end. Bast ran well in her debut, then turned in two sharp works in the three weeks since. Baffert worked her in blinkers, and she performed so well he added them for race day, too.

“She had been working really well,” Baffert said. “I put a little blinker on her to keep her a little more focused.”

It worked. Bast wound up in an ideal spot as the race unfolded. Stellar Sound, Inspiressa, and Leucothea were three abreast battling for the early lead through a 22.55-second opening quarter. Bast was in the clear behind them, in fourth, then looped them on the far turn.

By the time they reached the top of the lane, the only question was the margin of victory. Bast took the lead with authority and kicked clear. As the second choice, she paid $7.60 to win. Inspiressa, favored at 7-5, held off Comical by a half-length for second.

Lazy Daisy was fourth, then came, in order, Stellar Sound, Pure Xena, Powerfulattraction, and Leucothea.

Bast completed seven furlongs on the fast main track in 1:23.73.

Bast was purchased as a yearling one year ago at Saratoga for $500,000 by the Boama Corp. of Charles and Susan Chu, whose bloodstock agent is Donato Lanni. “She was a standout,” Baffert said. Charles Chu lives in Hong Kong, but flew in for the race, arriving at Del Mar about two hours before post time.

His trip was as perfect as Bast’s.