When a trainer is as successful as Bob Baffert, they are always looking for their next big thing. They’re hoping to uncover the next American Pharoah, Songbird, Justify or Authentic.
Baffert’s next big thing could be the 2-year-old filly Princess Noor, who put on a show while winning Sunday’s $250,000 Grade I Del Mar Debutante.
The daughter of Not This Time, a $1.35 million yearling purchase, was dazzling in her debut at Del Mar on Aug. 22, winning a maiden special weight by 2 1/2 lengths while tipping her hand that she could be something special.
She left no doubt in the Del Mar Debutante, sitting third up the backside under Victor Espinoza, pulling even with Forest Caraway at the head of the stretch and then drawing clear to win by 6 1/2 lengths while running the 7 furlongs in 1:23.15 as the 3-5 favorite. She was geared down by Espinoza in the final sixteenth.
Forest Caraway finished second, and pacesetter Illumination, who carved out early fractions of 23.01 and 45.49, wound up third, 2 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up.
Princess Noor had to withstand a stewards’ inquiry after breaking in sharply at the start and bumping My Girl Red, but the stewards unanimously ruled that the incident did not warrant a disqualification.
“She’s a little green (inexperienced),” Espinoza said of the incident out of the gate. “Coming away from there she went in a bit and I tried to get her off as quickly as I could. You try to control the babies as best you can, especially at the break.”
How good is Princess Noor?
“I really don’t know how good she is because I haven’t let her run yet,” Espinoza said. “It’s nice to be back at Del Mar and riding good horses.”
My Girl Red appeared to take a bad step less than a furlong into the race and was pulled up by jockey Flavien Prat. She returned to her barn and was reported to be fine.
Baffert, speaking to Del Mar publicity by phone from Louisville, where he sent out Authentic to win the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, didn’t seem surprised by Princess Noor’s dominating performance.
“We knew going in she was a special filly,” he said. “She showed so much brilliance at the sale, that’s why she cost so much, and we got what we expected to see today. She broke a little off kilter and was behind horses, but Victor didn’t really push her, especially at the end.
“We’re happy to get the win. We’ll run her back at Santa Anita and then go from there.”
It was Baffert’s ninth victory in the Debutante, tying D. Wayne Lukas for most in the 70 runnings of the race for 2-year-old fillies. It was also his second consecutive victory in the race, following his win with Bast last summer.
For Espinoza, it was his fifth victory in the Debutante and his 103rd lifetime stakes victory at Del Mar, good for third all-time.
One race later, in the $200,000 Grade II Del Mar Derby, Umberto Rispoli won his fourth race of the afternoon by expertly guiding 3-2 favorite Pixelate to a victory over Margot’s Boy. Pixelate, who shipped into Del Mar for trainer Michael Stidham, was third much of the way until catching the runner-up in the late stages to win by a head while running the 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:50.25.
Rispoli took a 49-48 lead over Prat in the hotly contested race for top jockey heading into today’s closing-day program. Prat won Sunday’s $75,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf aboard favored Madone, giving him a record 14 stakes victories during the 27-day summer meet.
Rispoli and Prat both have 10 mounts on today’s 11-race program.
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