Himika splits rivals, draws off in Sorrento

One day after Desert Gate crushed the Best Pal (G3), his Bob Baffert stablemate Himika proved much the best in Del Mar’s companion stakes for juvenile fillies, the $150,500 Sorrento (G3).

Like the colt Desert Gate, Himika rolled in her mid-June unveiling at Santa Anita. Both went off as the prohibitive 1-5 favorites in their respective stakes debuts this weekend, and both remained undefeated. 

The two have a pedigree connection in common. Himika is by Hall of Famer Curlin, and Desert Gate is out of a Curlin mare.

Both are also graduates of OBS two-year-olds in training sales, although Himika cost a lot more. Baoma Corp. had to go to $900,000 for Himika at OBS April, while Desert Gate brought $260,000 from the “Three Amigos” – Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman – at OBS March. 

But Himika had to work out a more educational trip in the Sorrento than Desert Gate did in his Best Pal cakewalk. While Desert Gate enjoyed an ideal pace-pressing trip from his outside post before galloping away, Himika faced different circumstances from her rail draw. 

Although Himika had experience breaking from post 1 in her debut, she found herself further behind in the initial stages here. Hot-riding Juan Hernandez took the opportunity to angle her off the fence early and settle her among the pack.

When Himika saw daylight in between foes, though, she decided to kick into gear on her own. After an opening quarter in :22.11, the bay had already raced up into third, and Hernandez was not about to argue with her. Himika knifed between early leader My Kat and the attending Thank You India as they prepared to enter the far turn. 

Striking the front passing the half-mile in :45.40, Himika drew away at will down the lane. The 4 1/4-length winner covered six furlongs in 1:10.61, just off the 1:10.37 posted by Desert Gate in his 8 3/4-length jaunt on Saturday.

Mo’ Em Down, who had been fifth early, rallied for a clear second. Thank You India kept on in third, another 3 1/4 lengths adrift in the strung-out field. My Kat faded to fourth. Stuffy Mist, who tried to make a circling move into contention, flattened out in fifth. Dreaming of Alys, a recent recruit to the Southern California circuit, struggled to endure the kickback and trailed throughout. 

Himika has now bankrolled $126,000 from her 2-for-2 line. She was giving Baffert a ninth Sorrento trophy, emulating the likes of Soviet Sojourn (1991), the future dam of Indian Charlie; Hall of Famer Silverbulletday (1998); and Chilukki (1999). 

Bred by Klaravich Stables in Kentucky, Himika is out of the stakes-placed Motivated Seller, who set a 5 1/2-furlong track record at Saratoga in 2021. Motivated Seller is a daughter of perennial-leading sire Into Mischief and the stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Coup.