Mick Ruis has worked out Grandma Mary’s schedule in the week leading to Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante for 2-year-old fillies. “She had last work last Saturday, we’ll enter on Wednesday, and get our picture taken on Saturday,” he said at the barn on Monday morning. “We’re ready.” Ruis trains, owns and bred Grandma Mary, who was second by a half-length to Debutante hopeful Bourbon and Ginger in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 2. For Ruis, the abbreviated sprint was a good prep race for the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs. “She had no reason winning at 5 1/2 with her long stride,” he said. :: Play to Win at Del Mar! Get DRF Past Performances, Clocker Reports, Picks, and Betting Strategies all in one place.  The Ruis family has won the Del Mar Debutante in the past with a maiden. In 2016, Union Strike won the Debutante at 7-1 for Ruis and his wife, Wendy. The trainer was their then 25-year-old daughter Shelbe. Grandma Mary was bred by the family’s Ruis Racing, and is by Bolt d’Oro, who they raced. Bolt d’Oro won 5 of 8 starts, including the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity in 2017. Two of Bolt d’Oro’s win were via disqualification – the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita in March 2018 after first-place finisher McKinzie was ruled to have caused interference, and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, but only after a protracted and controversial court battle regarding a medication violation found in first-place finisher Justify. As a stallion, Bolt d’Oro currently ranks 20th in the nation with more than $6.88 million in progeny earnings through Tuesday. Bolt d’Oro is on pace this year to surpass his 2023 figure of more than $7.35 million in progeny earnings, the highest of his career. Grandma Mary is out of Mary Edna, an unraced 9-year-old mare Ruis bought as a yearling for $825,000 in 2017 “to get into the bloodline,” he said. Mary Edna did not start because of injury. “She started to get a little bit of a knee,” Ruis said. “We didn’t want to take that chance.” Mary Edna is out of R Gypsy Gold, a two-time stakes winner who earned $271,417. R Gypsy Gold is a half-sister to the four-time stakes winner Golden Lad, who earned $645,320; and the two-time stakes winner Broadway’s Alibi, who earned $521,500. Aside from Bourbon and Ginger and Grandma Mary, the expected field for the Del Mar Debutante includes Bottle of Rouge, Explora, and Himika, all trained by Bob Baffert; La Wally, trained by Mark Glatt; and Fourlynnes, trained by Luis Mendez. Baffert has won the Del Mar Debutante a record 11 times. Himika won the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs on Aug. 10. Ruis has five horses in training at Del Mar and seven in Kentucky, a smaller stable than he has had in the past. Ruis said he plans to have six 2-year-olds in training next year, and has 15 weanlings he hopes to race beginning in 2027. Ruis boards 15 mares in Kentucky. He previously owned a farm in that state, but sold it to focus on his businesses in Montana, which includes home development. “We were there three times a year for a couple of days,” he said. “There’s no time for Kentucky.” This summer, Ruis has had a steady presence at Del Mar, assisted by Shelbe, the mother of a 2-year-old daughter. Shelbe is married to trainer Antonio Garcia. Despite his myriad business interests, the 64-year-old Ruis insists he has time for Grandma Mary and the rest of his stable. “There’s always room for racing,” he said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.