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2018 Del Mar Debutante

Flavien Prat celebrates aboard Bellafina after winning the 2018 Del Mar Debutante

The $300,000 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) on Saturday features the top 2-year-old fillies on the west coast sprinting 7 furlongs on the main track. Conditions were typical for the end of the Del Mar summer meeting, with clear skies and temperatures in the mid 70's. Brill was sent off as the 7-10 favorite in the field of 5, off her 1 1/4 length debut win on July 18. In to challenge her included 2-1 second choice Bellafina, winner of the Sorrento (G2), and 3-1 third choice Mother Mother, a debut winner on July 22.

Bellafina leads in the stretch

Jockey Joe Talamo sent Mother Mother to the lead exiting the chute through an opening quarter of 21.93 while pressed by Bellafina. Into the turn Bellafian gained the lead through a half of 44.68. Kept to task by Flavien Prat, Bellafina opened up a 3 length lead midstretch through 3/4 in 1:10.76, and drew off to win by 4 1/4 lengths over Mother Mother in 1:25.51. It was another 3 1/4 length back to 16-1 Boujie Girl third, and another length to favorite Brill fourth.

Pgm Horse Jockey Win Place Show 5 Bellafina Prat 6.60 3.20 3.20 4 Mother Mother Talamo 4.20 3.60 1 Boujie Girl Franco 5.60 Winning Time: 1:25.51 $1 Exacta 5-4 10.20 $2 Quinella 4-5 12.40 $1 Trifecta 5-4-1 36.00 Results Chart

Left: Bellafina in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Simon Callaghan said, "She broke sharp, she was into the bit today and she was always in good position. The race went pretty much as we thought it might and it was a really good performance. It was nice to see her really show her class at the end. I said to Kaleem (owner Kaleem Shah) that she's the best filly I've trained. She's pretty special and I think she's going to keep getting better."

Right: Bellafina in the post parade. Winning jockey Flavien Prat said, "No special instructions going in. She was more aggressive today. I think that race the other day (when she broke her maiden August 5 here going six furlongs) got her in that mode. She was on it. Then when she made the lead, she just dropped the bit; she backed off. Can she go farther? Well, I guess we'll see."

Left: Second place finisher Mother Mother in the paddock. Jockey Joe Talamo said, "My filly never got a breather. She had to run hard all the way. The winner didn't."

Right: Third place finisher Boujie Girl in the paddock. Jockey Geovanni Franco said, "She ran hard. She ran well for third."

Fourth place finisher and beaten favorite Brill in the paddock. Jockey Drayden Van Dyke said, "That wasn't her today. She didn't run her race. She wasn't there for me."

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