DEL MAR : For Batroyale, Victory Is Not a Good Omen
Given recent history, Batroyale probably won’t win the Del Mar Debutante on Aug. 27.
The 2-year-old daughter of Batonnier was an impressive winner of the $104,200 Sorrento Stakes Wednesday, but Sorrento success has not translated into Debutante success the last eight years. Not since 1986, when Brave Raj won both races, has a filly completed the Sorrento-Debutante parlay.
After breaking a step slowly under Gary Stevens, the 9-2 third choice in the field of six quickly moved up to join stablemate Love On The Rail on the lead, then went on to beat even-money favorite Cosmic Fire by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:15 3/5 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.
Trained by Bob Baffert for owner-breeders Mr. and Mrs. Robert Walter, Batroyale is now perfect in three starts. Before coming here, she had broken her maiden by three lengths at Pleasanton, then won the Solano County Juvenile by two lengths at Solano.
“When [Walter] sent me [Batroyale] and some other horses, I had papers, but I didn’t know who was who,” Baffert said. “When I worked her the first time [in 47 flat on July 29], I thought she was a 3-year-old. She’s big and robust and she acted like a 3-year-old.
“After the work, I went back and looked at the papers and I saw she was a 2-year-old, and I couldn’t believe it.
“We really hadn’t been pointing toward this race, but after I worked her, I called [Walter] and told him I nominated her to the race and I thought she would do fine. He said to go ahead and take a shot.”
Stevens was aboard for Batroyale’s second local work--five furlongs in 59 2/5 last Friday--but he didn’t share Baffert’s enthusiasm.
“I’ve got to give Bob and my agent [Ron Anderson] the credit here,” Stevens said. “I worked her the other morning and she didn’t really impress me. She went in 59 and change, but she didn’t seem like she was doing all that much.
“But they kept me high on her. She’s one of those big, long-striding fillies. She just gobbles up the ground. She feels like a mile-and-a-quarter filly. She doesn’t impress you; she just gets it done.
“When I came back and saw those fractions [21 4/5, 44 2/5 and 1:09 1/5], I was surprised and she saved a nice kick for me at the end. She could be special.”
Cosmic Fire, favored on the strength of her 5 1/2-length maiden victory over the track on July 29, finished well after rallying five-wide to beat third-place Waycross, the 5-2 second choice, by nearly three lengths. Blacktie Bid, Love On The Rail and Totally Spellbound completed the order of finish. Eastside Lass and Ocean View were scratched.
*
Entries will be taken this morning for Sunday’s $1-million Pacific Classic, and it looks as though the 1 1/4-mile race will have six starters.
Kissin Kris, who hasn’t won in more than two years, will not be coming West for the Grade I stake. Trainer Rick Violette said Wednesday a “minor problem” will keep the 5-year-old in New York. A loss in the Pacific Classic would have been the 21st in a row for Kissin Kris.
Concern, who won the Californian at Hollywood Park in his first trip to California before having an unpleasant experience in the Gold Cup three weeks later, was scheduled to arrive at Del Mar late Wednesday night after leaving Baltimore in the afternoon.
Stevens will ride the 1994 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner for the first time Sunday.
The others expected are Soul Of The Matter, Blumin Affair, Slew Of Damascus, Tinners Way and Cleante, who will be supplemented to the race for $30,000 and it will cost an additional $15,000 to start.
Horse Racing Notes
Dallas Keen, the leading trainer at Texas’ Retama Park, collected his first win at Del Mar when True Classic led every step of the way in the first race. . . . Jockey Rene Douglas, who was disqualified from fourth to sixth on Sudary in Monday’s ninth race, was handed a five-day suspension, beginning Saturday. . . . There is a Pick Six carryover of more than $86,000 for today.