Sunset Glow uses new tactics to take Del Mar Debutante

DEL MAR, Calif. - Sunset Glow was given a new assignment in Saturday’s $301,000 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies.

Instead of taking an early lead, as she had in recent races, jockey Victor Espinoza adopted a new strategy. He decided to rate Sunset Glow behind a quick pace and avoid expending too much of the filly’s energy in the first half-mile.

The new strategy was a risk, but it worked spectacularly. Closing from fifth in a field of nine, Sunset Glow ($3.80) weaved her way through traffic on the turn to win the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante by a neck over 3-1 Her Emmynency.

“There was a lot of speed,” Espinoza said. “If I let her go, she wouldn’t have anything left. I wanted to take her back. I knew it was a big race to try something new.

“She’s amazing. She took it very well.”

Sunset Glow was three lengths behind pacesetter Esquire through early fractions of 21.96 and 44.75 seconds. On the turn, Espinoza had Sunset Glow on the rail behind the leaders, with Her Emmynency well-placed to her outside.

As the front-runners faded, Espinoza guided Sunset Glow to the lead, and was quickly challenged by Her Emmynency. The two fillies were separated by a head at the eighth pole and fought together to the wire. Sunset Glow ran seven furlongs in 1:23.12.

Her Emmynency, making her stakes debut, finished three-quarters of a length over 14-1 Conquest Eclipse, who finished with interest.

Dad’s Princess was fourth, followed by Seduire, Manahatta, Windy Forecast, Stealth Drone, and Starlet O’Hara.

Sunset Glow races for Ten Broeck Farm and is trained by Wesley Ward. By Exchange Rate, Sunset Glow has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $377,645. She was purchased for $140,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Sunset Glow has had an interesting summer. She was second in the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot in June, and won the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs here on Aug. 6.

Ward watched the Del Mar Debutante on television from Kentucky and said Espinoza’s strategy gave him a few anxious moments.

“I was wondering, what was he doing?” Ward said a few minutes after the race. “She’s got a beautiful mind on her. I was impressed with the way she ran.”