It May Be Baffert’s Comfort Zone

No trainer has won the Del Mar Debutante, the track’s biggest race for 2-year-old fillies, more often than Wayne Lukas. But Bob Baffert is closing fast.

Lukas, whose presence has been all but nonexistent in California in 2003, has eight victories, spreading the wins over three decades. The Hall of Fame trainer got his first with Terlingua in 1978 and his most recent with Sharp Cat in 1996.

The late Tommy Doyle is second with seven Debutante victories, the last with Raja’s Delight in 1980.

And then there is Baffert, who is on his way to being the leading trainer at Del Mar for a record-tying seventh consecutive season. He has won the Debutante five times in the last eight years.

Baffert could very well make it six when his Victory U.S.A. takes on Halfbridled and four others in the seven-furlong race late this afternoon.

Owned by Tom Van Meter II, Victory U.S.A., a daughter of Victory Gallop, the horse that prevented the Baffert-trained Real Quiet from winning the Triple Crown in 1998 with his nose victory in the Belmont Stakes, broke into the game in a big way on Aug. 3.

The even-money favorite against eight opponents, she made the lead quickly under jockey Mike Smith and widened to win by 6 1/2 lengths without being asked for her best.

Victory U.S.A. has the outside post and is expected to be the even-money betting favorite based on her strong workouts. She had a seven-furlong workout of 1:25 1/5 on Aug. 19, six days before she went five furlongs in 58 3/5, the best of 64 works at the distance that morning.

Halfbridled, the 9-5 second choice on the morning line, drew the rail. Owned by Wertheimer Farm and trained by Richard Mandella, the daughter of Unbridled was impressive in her first start on July 27.

Breaking from the inside, Halfbridled trailed early in the 5 1/2-furlong race but rallied wide under jockey Julie Krone and won going away. At the end, she had 4 1/2 lengths on the runner-up.

Miss Houdini won the Debutante last year, upsetting the Baffert-trained Santa Catarina. This year’s field is completed by Solar Fire, who was third behind Tizdubai and Dirty Diana in the Sorrento Stakes on Aug. 9; Wind Flow, who was fourth in the Sorrento; Shadow Of Mine, who won a slow race in her debut on July 13 at Hollywood Park; and Hollywood Story, who was second to Victory U.S.A. in her first start for owner George Krikorian and trainer John Shirreffs.

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The Debutante is among three graded stakes that will be run over the holiday weekend as Del Mar begins its final 10 days.

On Sunday, older turf specialists will race in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles; the main event on Monday is the $250,000 Del Mar Breeders’ Cup Handicap at a mile.

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Ashado, the 3-1 third choice, remained unbeaten and won her second stakes at Saratoga, beating 10-1 shot Be Gentle by 1 1/4 lengths in the $200,000 Spinaway, a Grade I, on Friday.

Owned by a partnership that includes Starlight Stables and Paul Saylor, the 2-year-old Saint Ballado filly has three wins in three starts for trainer Todd Pletcher. Her first stakes win came over a sloppy track in the Schuylerville on July 23.

Edgar Prado was the winning rider and Ashado completed the seven furlongs in 1:24.08. Favored Daydreaming was a distant third.