Teardrops in the Debutante

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

A Shocking Debutante

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 didn’t win the Debutante but later went on to championship seasons are Countess Dianna and Rachel Alexandra. One youngster, Shockwave, is already a stakes winner and the favorite in this year’s edition of the Churchill Downs Debutante Stakes.

Victorious in two starts by a combined 22 lengths and already a stakes winner, SHOCKTIME (Langfuhr - Red Thread, by Devil His Due) is the deserved morning line favorite. The Lone Star Park invader is the first foal for her unraced dam. Her dam is a full sister to the durable stakes placed gelding Itsallboutthechase, and that’s it for blacktype in this distaff family.

You could have claimed TIPPY TOES (D’Wildcat - Procedure, by Quiet American) twice for $50K. She’s a half sister to the juvenile stakes winner Midst. Her second dam Aquire was a track record setter at Keeneland. Hollywood Prevue hero Your Tent Or Mine is part of this distaff family.

Drawing the one post, FIVE STAR MOMMA (Five Star Day - Momma In Law, by Nureyev) won her 5 ½ furlong debut in 1:05 2/5. Her dam won three of seven starts and she’s a full sister to the Group 3 winner England’s Rose. There’s some precocity in this distaff family, as her second dam placed in the Hollywood Starlet. Five Star Momma has strong turf breeding and may eventually find her way to the lawn.

QUEEN TEUTA (Theatrical - Queens Plaza, by Forestry) showed improvement from her first to second start. Her dam won the Grade 2 Sorority Stakes. Queen Teuta’s third dam Jeano was a dual winner of the Doubldogdare Stakes and she’s the grand-dam of 2005 Champion Two Year Old Filly Folklore.

The only maiden in the group, MY DUE PROCESS (Henny Hughes - Easy Action, by Crafty Prospector) almost got it done last time out, but was caught at the wire by a head. She worked back a bullet after that race and is bred top and bottom for precocious speed. Her half brother Kong’s Revenge placed in the Futurity (G-2). Their dam was a stakes placed juvenile and she is a half sister to Santa Ysabel (G-3) heroine Itty Bitty Pretty and the multiple stakes winning sprinter Greeley’s Conquest.

FLASHY LASSIE (Flashy Bull – Lemon Pop Lassie, by Lemon Drop Kid) destroyed $20K maiden claimers by nine lengths in her debut. Her first crop sire has three winners from five starters. She’s the first foal produced by her dam. Lemon Pop Lassie is a half sister to a stakes winner and two stakes placed runners, all fillies.

CULOTTE (Sky Mesa - Normandy's Nell, by Mt. Livermore) has speed throughout her pedigree and proved it galloping to a five length win, getting 4 ½ furlongs in a strong :51 3/5. She’s the first foal for her dam who was unplaced in five attempts. Normandy's Nell is a half sister to Del Mar Oaks (G-1) heroine Famous Digger.

SELECTIONS:

SHOCKTIME owns the only black type in the field. How good are the fillies she beat at Lone Star? FLASHY LASSIE should love the extra distance and she worked a strong five furlongs. TIPPY TOES has shown the ability to win off of the pace. With a race full of drag racers, she could be passing them all at the end. Add the trainer/jock combo of Pletcher/Leparoux and morning line odds of 12-1 and she looks very attractive. CULOTTE demolished Queen Teuta last time out and came back to work very well.

#6 SHOCKTIME

#3 TIPPY TOES

#7 CULOTTE

#5 FLASHY LASSIE

Blue-Blooded Babies Equal Double Digit Payouts

Well-bred maidens making their debuts can often reward their backers with double-digit payouts. So far this year, astute handicappers were rewarded with payouts on Evita’s Sister ($24.00) a full sister to Grade 1 winner Evita Argentina, Lava Girl ($32.00) a half sister to the multiple Grade 1 winning hero Lava Man, and Power World ($30.00) a half brother to Grade 2 winner Santa Catarina.

Well bred babies facing the starter on Saturday, June 25 include the following:

Calder - Race 2 MSW - QUEEN DRAMA (Burning Roma – Riveting Drama, by Notebook) is a full sister to Little Drama and half sister to Big Drama. Little Drama placed second in his initial start, a Maiden race in mid-June 2010. He got the job done the following month in the Frank Gomez Memorial Stakes. Queen Drama has been working well, including a last breeze bullet from the gate. She’s in the barn of Little Drama’s trainer, David Fawkes.

Churchill Race 8 MSW - SARK - is a son of first crop sire English Channel, the 2007 Turf Champion. Sark's dam November Snow won from sprint to classic distances at the top level of racing. She recorded victories in the Test (G-1), Alabama (G-1) and Rare Perfume (G-2), and placed in the Ballerina (G-1), Go For Wand (G-1) and Turfway Breeders' Cup (G-2). Unfortunately, November Snow's record as a broodmare is poor. From twelve foals, she has produced one with blacktye, November Slew, who placed in the Sorrento (G-2). Only four other foals are winners. Two of her daughters have produced stakes horses, including the Carter Handicap (G-1) hero Morning Line. Sark may eventually wind up an underachiever, but we'll give the Wayne Lukas trainee the benefit of the doubt and hope he's the breakthrough stakes winner for his dam. Sark is trying turf for the first time.

Colonial Downs Race 6 MSW - CEE'S MY LADY (Malibu Moon - Cee's Irish) Her dam needed 4 starts to win her maiden, but beforehand, was 2nd twice, including a stakes race. She went on to win a few listed stakes including the Sunland Park Oaks and placed 3rd in the Hollywood B.C. Oaks. (G-2). Cee's Irish won over dirt and placed in turf stakes. The first 3 dams and the 5th dam are all blacktype. Cee's My Lady's trainer Will Phipps is doing well at Colonial this year.

Pleasanton - Race 5 MSW - MILANIA (Bernardini - Keeper Hill, by Deputy Minister) is the first daughter produced from her dam. Keeper Hill is a multiple Grade 1 winner and counts the Kentucky Oaks, Las Virgenes and Spinster amongst her victories. Milania’s first three dams are stakes horses and the fillies are better on the track than their male conterparts in this family. Milania is inbred to the good producer Killaloe, dam of the top sire Fappiano. Killaloe is Milania’s fourth dam and she is also the grand-dam of Quiet American, the broodmare sire of Bernardini. Keeper Hill needed 4 starts to win her maiden, but she was in the money in her previous 3 starts. Milania should definitely prefer running two turns, but like her dam, could place in the money here, especially since she's had 5 gate drills. Her trainer is Jerry Hollendorfer.