Bottle of Rouge too strong for Explora in Del Mar Debutante

On paper, Bottle of Rouge stacked up as the third-stringer from the Bob Baffert barn in Saturday’s $301,000 Del Mar Debutante (G1). But the 9.10-1 shot packed a strong punch down the lane and floored her 3-5 stablemate, Explora.

Adding to the storylines, Bottle of Rouge is owned by the trainer’s wife, Jill Baffert. And the winning rider, Hall of Famer Mike Smith, revealed that he only got the mount because of Jill’s persistence on his behalf. 

“First time I’ve ever been on her – never even worked her,” Smith said of Bottle of Rouge. “Have to thank Jill. She told Bob he had to ride me; she wouldn’t let up. She insisted. So he put me on. Thank you, Jill. Thank you, Bob.”

The only unsurprising development was that Baffert retained his dominance in Del Mar’s signature race for two-year-old fillies. Bottle of Rouge handed her trainer a record-extending 12th win, and Explora rounded out the Baffert exacta. 

Leading rider Juan Hernandez stuck with Explora, who was coming off a sensational debut victory that made her the Debutante favorite. Bottle of Rouge also romped in a maiden last time out, but in her second try. In her unveiling, the well-named daughter of Vino Rosso was no match for stablemate Himika, the next-out winner of the Sorrento (G3). 

The step up to seven furlongs in the Debutante turned out to be the key for Bottle of Rouge. The other factor may have been Explora’s relative lack of experience. 

As expected, Explora dashed forward through fractions of :22.05 and :44.62, while Bottle of Rouge and Himika raced off the pace. Himika tried to take a run at Explora on the far turn, but her bid soon stalled, and she faded.

Bottle of Rouge also began to range into contention, and she was able to sustain her move for the length of the stretch. Although Explora was still in front at the six-furlong mark in 1:09.74, Bottle of Rouge appeared to have more up her sleeve. 

Outstaying the favorite late, Bottle of Rouge edged away by one length. The gray clocked 1:23.05 and rewarded her backers with $20.20.

“About 150 yards or so out of the gate,” Smith said, “she just seemed to lose her hind end for a bit. But she recovered nicely and picked it up. She ran well today.”

Explora salvaged second by a half-length from the Mark Glatt-trained La Wally, who rallied smartly to finish 7 3/4 lengths clear of Himika. Next in the strung-out field came Bourbon and Ginger and Grandma Mary, who both chased Explora early, and the ever-trailing Fourlynnes.

Baffert’s longtime assistant, Jimmy Barnes, alluded to the fact that these juveniles are all on a learning curve.

“The way the race set up, they were moving right along up front, so it doesn’t surprise me that’s the way we ended up finishing,” Barnes said. “They’re all lightly raced fillies. That’s her (Bottle of Rouge’s) third start, so that helps. We’ll take a one-two finish anytime. We’re just very proud of her.”

Bottle of Rouge sports a mark of 3-2-1-0, $240,000. Bred by Kathie Maybee in Kentucky, she was most recently purchased for $100,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. Her dam, Blues Zone, is a Bluegrass Cat half-sister to Grade 3 winner San Pablo.

While Hernandez was foiled in the Debutante, he did capture the other graded stakes on the card, the $252,000 John C. Mabee (G2), with Newstead Stables’ Gimme a Nother. Once a champion in her native South Africa, where she was a perfect 7-for-7, she was earning her first North American victory in her fifth attempt. 

The Graham Motion shipper, who just missed in the Canadian (G2) at Woodbine, went off as the 2.40-1 second choice. Bettors preferred Medoro as a horse for the course, sending her off at odds of 7-10. Hernandez’s heady ride may have been the difference. 

Gimme a Nother secured a good stalking position behind pacesetting Hopeful through steady splits of :24.11, :48.01, and 1:12.50 on the firm course. Longshot Kentucky Gal advanced to track as well, covering up Gimme a Nother. 

When Medoro launched her circling rally, Hernandez deftly extricated Gimme a Nother from the pocket, turning for home. That maneuver enabled her to match Medoro’s move while retaining the advantage of saving ground.

The two tussled only briefly in the lane, for Gimme a Nother repelled the favorite and kicked 1 1/4 lengths clear. The daughter of Gimmethegreenlight negotiated 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.55.

“She told me she can run from behind the pace; you can do whatever you want with her,” Hernandez said of his pre-race discussion regarding Gimme a Nother with Motion’s assistant Alice Clapham. 

“Around the turn, she was getting out a little bit, and the #4 horse (Medoro) was getting a little close to me. So I was just trying to get in a good position and save ground. As soon as the horse ahead of me stepped out a little bit, around the quarter pole, that’s when she took off.”

Medoro had 1 3/4 lengths to spare over third-placer Mission of Joy. Public Assembly rounded out the superfecta, followed by defending champion Hang the Moon, Mahina, Baltic Fire, Hopeful, and Kentucky Gal. 

Gimme a Nother has compiled an overall record of 12-8-3-0, $423,773. Heroine of the Empress Club (G1), S.A. Fillies Classic (G1), Gauteng Fillies Guineas (G2), Ipi Tombe Challenge (G2), and Fillies Mile (G3) at Turffontein, she opened her U.S. career with runner-up efforts in the March 8 Hillsborough (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs and the May 2 Modesty (G3) at Churchill Downs. Her only subpar result, a seventh in the New York (G1), came on yielding ground at Saratoga. 

Bred by Wilgerbosdrift & Mauritzfontein, Gimme a Nother has the distinction of being a third-generation champion. She’s out of the Tiger Ridge mare Nother Russia, who is herself a daughter of Mother Russia, both champion older mares in South Africa. 

The most dramatic stakes result of the day came in the $103,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, courtesy of Dreaming of Alys in a $125.50 shocker. 

Switched to turf after an abysmal non-effort in the Sorrento, where she climbed at the rear and despised the kickback, the Phil D’Amato recruit was a different proposition here. Dreaming of Alys rallied under a well-judged ride by Diego Herrera and prevailed by a length from the 75-1 Pentle Bay. D’Amato’s 2.30-1 favorite, Yours Sincerely, wound up fourth.

“I really liked her in the Sorrento,” D’Amato said, “and it threw me for a loop when she climbed all the way in there. So I thought to eliminate the climbing and dirt in her face, let’s throw her on the grass. I put some grass works into her, and against some really good horses, she held her own.”