By almost every measure, Nooni featured in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) on September 7. She is the highest-priced foal sold to date by a new stallion. Win Win Win and her subsequent daytime victories proved that worth.
Nooni also comes from the Bob Baffert stable, whose 2-year-olds regularly win races like Debutante. Baffert has won this race a record 10 times, counting Battle in 1995. Most recently, he has had three consecutive from 2019-21 with Bast tree , Princess Noor And Grace Adler .
Stud broker Donato Lanni led the bid at $1.8 million for Nooni at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Baffert trains the mare for Zedan Racing Stables, which also owns Princess Noor. On her debut June 13 at Santa Anita, five furlongs away and betting down to 1-5, Nooni broke into the lead from the start and continued to extend her advantage. She eventually scored by 9 1/2 lengths while being adjusted down to a gallop by rider Juan Hernandez.
At Del Mar in the six-furlong Sorrento Stakes (G3) on August 10, Nooni postponed the closing Vodka with a twist With a 1 1/2 length margin the favorites are 1-2.
“I haven’t really coached her much, but she’s really classy,” Baffert said after Sorrento.
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Since then, Baffert has worked at Nooni for five furlongs at Del Mar at 1:00 on August 24 and six furlongs at 1:11 on August 4/5 on August 31. Hernandez is expected to return from 2nd place.
Vodka With a Twist, a daughter of the first-year stallion Thousand words has come closer to Nooni than anyone else. She also has the most experience of the seven in Debutante. She has won twice in three starts in Kentucky, including the six-furlong Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs in the mud. Phil D’Amato took over her training from Jason McCutchen after her first two starts following the change of ownership. She now races for Medallion Racing owners Omar Aldabbagh and Bill Strauss.
Mike Smith, who drives Vodka With a Twist at Sorrento, will drive in the number 4 position.
Baffert has a second Debutante Tenma a daughter of Nyquist . Baoma Corp., which owns Bast, bought Tenma for $850,000 at this year’s OBS Spring Sale for 2-year-olds in training. In her only start, Tenma broke her record by a neck on Aug. 18 at Del Mar for rider Kazushi Kimura, who will ride her in the Debutante from No. 6.
So there she was trained by Doug O’Neill, finished second to Vodka With a Twist at Churchill in the Debutante race as a young horse. This was her second start and she was back in Del Mar August 10 to graduate from the maiden ranks by 1 3/4 lengths. O’Neill called on regular pilot Antonio Fresu and daughter of Munnings drawing lesson 3
Star of Pride And Jack’s Magical Girl debuted with a first win, while Night light took first place and then finished fourth at Sorrento.
Entries: FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante S. (G1)
Del MarSaturday, September 7, 2024, Race 4
- Class I
- 7 minutes
- Dirt
- $300,000
- 2 year old mare
- 3:00 PM (local time)
