Holmby wears down Ruiva in Sorrento

Sunday’s $150,500 Sorrento (G3) at Del Mar turned into a virtual match race, as Wesley Ward’s 8-5 Ruiva tried to fend off Bob Baffert’s 4-5 favorite Holmby. But after a prolonged tussle, the locally-based Holmby ultimately wore down the Kentucky shipper. 

Baffert was winning his 10th Sorrento trophy, this time with a two-year-old filly from the first crop of his 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) champion Corniche. Indeed, Holmby is bred to go further than six furlongs, sparking hopes that she can stretch out from here.

Interestingly, Holmby’s jockey, Juan Hernandez, had also ridden Ruiva in both of her prior starts – a front-running romp in the Churchill Downs slop and a third in the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot. There was little mystery about Ruiva’s tactics.

As Ruiva sped to the front in the Sorrento, Hernandez adopted a patient policy and settled Holmby just off the pace. Ruiva was not left unattended, however. Belleza Latina moved up to press her through an opening quarter in :21.91, only to pay the price quickly and beat a retreat.

Before Ruiva could get away, Hernandez sent Holmby after her, and the duo hooked up at the half in :45.02. Ruiva was still a half-length up in midstretch, but her grasp grew ever more tenuous in the sixth furlong.

Holmby stayed on better, albeit in a final furlong that took :13.41. She forced her neck in front of Ruiva while clocking 1:10.73.

Another 7 1/2 lengths back in third came Crazy Hot Mess. Dash, Blockade, and the eased Belleza Latina concluded the order of finish.

Hernandez was completing a sweep of the weekend stakes, beginning Saturday with Hughes in the Best Pal (G3) and Warming in the Yellow Ribbon (G2) on turf. Hughes is also trained by Baffert, who turned the juvenile stakes double. 

“She was very game,” Baffert said of Holmby. “I like the way she sat off the pace and ran down a really nice filly.”

“She brought her game today,” Hernandez said. “We were tracking that other filly (Ruiva), and I know how good she is. I rode her twice. 

“My horse is improving, though. She did the tracking, then we put it in motion coming for home. She’s improving, getting better each time.”

By Talla Racing’s Holmby, who scored in her five-furlong premiere here July 18, is now 2-for-2 with $150,000 in earnings. The chestnut has provided a nifty return on investment, as a $55,000 bargain yearling purchase at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July.

An Indiana-bred from 40 Acre Farm, Holmby comes from a family cultivated in Maryland. She is out of the stakes-winning Lemon Drop Kid mare Candida H. Her granddam, stakes victress Magical Broad, is a full sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Include, by Broad Brush.

Holmby is bound for the top level herself, with the Sept. 5 Del Mar Debutante (G1) on her agenda.

“I’m excited for (owner) Michael Talla,” Baffert said. “She’ll go on now to the Debutante. It was fun, just a great weekend.”