For over 200 years, aristocratic fillies have won the Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes. The roll call of winners include Alcibiades, Bewitch, Furl Sail, Hollywood Wildcat, Silverbullitday, Chilukki, and Cashiers Dream, who set a 5 ½ furlong record of 1:02 2/5. Fillies that placed in the Debutante but later went on to championship seasons are Countess Dianna and Rachel Alexandra.
The Debutante past performances read more like an allowance race than a stakes. All eleven fillies are last out maiden winners. Six of them appear to have a strong shot of having their picture taken in the winners' circle.
The pretty gray TEARDROP (Tapit - Wild Vision, by Wild Again) is one of the best bred fillies in the Debutante. She's a full sister to War Echo, who placed in the Golden Rod (G-2) as a juvenile and was victorious in the Silverbulletday (G-3) at three. Teardrop is also a ¾ sister to the multiple graded stakes winning miler Pyro (by Pulpit), hero of the Forego (G-1), Louisiana Derby (G-2), etc. Another ¾ brother, Longview Drive, is a stakes winning juvenile and placed in the Delta Jackpot (G-3). Teardrop was very green in her debut. She broke slow, veered to the outside, blew the turn going seven wide and passed the rest of the field in the stretch like they were tied to the rail. She flashed under the wire 3 ¾ lengths in front, getting 5F in :58 2/5.
Teardrop's stablemate DEL MAR HOLIDAY (Sharp Humor - Harvest Girl, by Apollo) needed two starts to win her maiden. She dueled on the lead, then pulled away to win the over a wet-fast track by two lengths, getting 5F in :59 1/5. Next out winner Mi Perlita finished fourth. Del Mar Holiday is a half sister to the multiple stakes winning sprinter Winning Image (by Southern Image).
YOKOHAMA MAMA (Purim - Mon Cherie, by Afleet) came from off of the pace to win her debut. She owns a last out bullet breeze of 4F in a sharp :47 2/5. Her half sister to Flying Kiwi (by More Than Ready) placed in a stakes at two. Trainer Randy Morse takes over her conditioning. The stable is 9% with maidens to stakes angle.
FIFTYSHADESOFGOLD (My Golden Song - Hadif Cat, by Hadif) sat behind the pace until being loosed in the stretch, blowing them away by 10 lengths at Lone Star in a very sharp :57 3/5 for 5F. The pretty gray is a half to two Texas stakes winners. Fiftyshadesofgold has been training forwardly with two strong works at Churchill. Her trainer Bret Calhoun wins with 25% of his shippers
MORE THAN BEAUTY (More Than Ready - Brown Eyed Beauty, by Miswaki) zipped 4 ½ F in :52 flat in he debut, beating Debutante entrant Deliver by more than five lengths. She's posted three consecutively faster breezes including a last out bullet. The Borel brothers team up here and trainer Cecil is 31% with two year olds.
SILVER VALLEY (Silver Train - Panorama Valley, by Peaks and Valleys) won her debut at Lone Star by 4 ¾ lengths. Her dam went 3-3 in her career, including two stakes as a juvenile.
MEDALBU (Medallist - Malibu Moment, by Malibu Moon) could be an interesting long-shot. She made up over nine lengths in her 4 ½ F debut. Her times weren't the greatest, but she owns the second highest speed figure in the field. Her sire Medallist produced last year's Debutante winner Blueeyesintherein.
SELECTIONS
TEARDROP is the top pick based upon sheer talent and class. She can't goof off with this field and hopefully gained some experience in her first start. When a trainer has two horses in the field, always pay attention to the less-notable stablemate. That would be DEL MAR HOLIDAY. She has more experience than Teardrop, although Rosie jumped off of her, Del Mar Holiday's speed figures show improvement. FIFTYSHADESOFGOLD has the highest Bris speed figure in this group and on paper, appears the fastest. She doesn't appear to be speed crazy and will be dangerous. Have to respect the Borel brothers. MORE THAN BEAUTY has been working very well. MEDALBU and SILVER VALLEY are long-shots to watch.
#8 TEARDROP
#10 FIFTYSHADESOFGOLD
#7 MORE THAN BEAUTY
#2 SILVER VALLEY – long-shot pick
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