Sometimes class outperforms experience, which was certainly the case in the Sorrento Stakes (gr. III) (VIDEO) at Del Mar Aug. 7.
Mi Sueno, the first foal out of millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner Madcap Escapade, captured her first stakes in only her third start. The daughter of Pulpit had previously run second in two $46,000 maiden special weights at Hollywood Park.
In the 6 1/2-furlong Sorrento Stakes, Mi Sueno ran like a seasoned pro. She stalked the leaders Well Deserved and Laura's Pleasure down the backstretch and three wide off the rail. Going into the turn, jockey Michael Baze began asking her, and she responded with zeal. Mi Sueno rolled easily past the front runners to win by six and a half lengths.
"Eric (trainer Eric Guillot) said just keep her in the clear and look for a good last run," Baze said. "I know she was a maiden going in here, but her last two works were so good I thought she might run great. She’s a runner; she’s something special. Very special. Right now, she might be the best horse I’m riding."
Guillot said he’s believed all along she could be a legitimate contender among the top juveniles.
"She’s really not a sprinter, but she beat them at their own game today," he said. "She’s all legs."
Her next start may be the seven-furlong Darley Debutante (gr. I) on Sept. 5 or the 1 1/16-mile Oak Leaf Breeders’ Cup Stakes (gr. I) on Oct. 4 during the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet.
The Sorrento field included four horses coming off of victories, including heavy favorite Necessary Evil, who beat the boys in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship Stakes (gr. III) July 12. She won the six-furlong race by three lengths in 1:09.98.
Necessary Evil’s late run in the stretch, however, was not enough in the Sorrento and left her in second.
"She broke in a little bit at the start, but nothing too serious," said jockey Joel Rosario. "We had a good trip though, and she ran well. The other filly just was better today. It happens."
Well Deserved, who took the lead early and stayed there until the final furlong, held on for third. The opening fractions were a brisk :22.19 and :45.07. The six-furlong mark was hit in 1:10.07, and the final time was 1:16.40.
Mi Sueno paid $18.60, $5.20, and $3.20. Necessary Evil paid $2.80 and $2.20. Well Deserved paid $3.40 to show. The $2 exacta paid $45.
Mi Sueno is owned by Michael Moreno’s Southern Equine Stable, which purchased the filly for $1.7 million as a weanling in the 2007 Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale from John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Sales Agency. Sikura and Bruce Lunsford own Madcap Escapade, whom Lunsford raced. The filly was bred by Southern Equine, Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings, and Lunsford.
Madcap Escapade sold for $6 million carrying Mi Sueno in the 2006 Keeneland November sale to Hill ‘n’ Dale Bloodstock.