Final Mesa already has three wins under her belt and she’s likely be favored to add a fourth as she headlines a field of eight 2-year-old fillies entered for Del Mar’s Aug. 6 Sorrento Stakes (gr. III) at 6 1/2 furlongs. The 42nd edition of the Sorrento is worth $150,000.
Final Mesa, who is owned and trained by Wesley Ward, is unbeaten and her three starts have come over three different tracks. After breaking her maiden over Keeneland’s Polytrack in mid-April by 7 1/2 lengths, she easily won the 4 1/2-furlong Polly Drummond Stakes at Delaware Park in mid-May. Shipped to Canada for Woodbine’s My Dear Stakes June 26, she was equally as impressive, winning the five-furlong event by 7 1/4 lengths.
Leading rider Joel Rosario has the mount on the daughter of Sky Mesa —Final Style, by Smart Style. The filly was bred in New York by Carmine Telesca and John Guerrera. Rosario was aboard the filly Aug. 1 for a light half-mile breeze which was recorded in :51 4/5.
Local competition will be sharpest in the form of two-time, undefeated filly Dawnie Macho, trained by John Sadler, and a pair from the Bob Baffert barn, A Z Warrior and Alienation, both undefeated in maiden outings.
Joe Talamo rides Dawnie Macho, who won Hollywood Park's six-furlong Landaluce Stakes, and Martin Garcia rides A Z Warrior and Russell Baze has the call on Alienation. They both were Hollywood maiden winners.
A Z Warrior went wire-to-wire July 15, getting 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.14. A Zayat Stables homebred, A Z Warrior was the first winner for first-year sire Bernardini .
Baffert will be attempting to earn his fourth win in the Sorrento having won his first pair with eventual 2-year-old filly champions Silverbulletday (1998) and Chilukki (1999) and adding a win with Inspiring in 2004.
Trainer Vladimir Cerin's She'll Heir won her first two starts before finishing fourth in the Landaluce. She gets Patrick Valenzuela in the irons and will break from the rail.
Two more Landaluce runners will show up in the Sorrento—the maiden Izshelegal, who was a flying second to Dawnie Macho, and Belleofthebridle, who was third. Izshelegal, trained by Terry Knight, retains Victor Espinoza in the saddle and David Flores has the call back on Belleofthebridle for trainer Walther Solis.
Another Hollywood maiden winner coming forward is the Doug O'Neill-trained Wickedly Perfect, a Florida-bred daughter of Congrats , who will be ridden by Rafael Bejarano.
Sorrento Stakes (gr. III), Del Mar, $150,000, 2-year-old fillies, 61/2 furlongs (Polytrack), Aug. 6, approx. post 7:00 p.m. PDT
PP-Horse - Jockey - Wgt - Trainer
1 - She’ll Heir - P.Valenzuela - 121 - V. Cerin
2 - Alienation - R. Baze - 119 - B. Baffert
3 - A Z Warrior - M. Garcia - 119 - B. Baffert
4 - Izshelegal - V. Espinoza - 117 T. Knight
5 - Belleofthebride - D. Flores - 119 - W. Solis
6 - Final Mesa - J. Rosario - 123 - W. Ward
7 - Wickedly Perfect - R. Bejarano - 119 - D. O’Neill
8 - Dawnie Macho - J. Talamo - 123 - J. Sadler
Final Mesa headlines a field of eight 2-year-old fillies entered for the Sorrento Stakes.
Michael Burns