Kentucky-bred Miss Monica won the 76th running of the Del Mar Debutante (G1) for fun, taking the seven-furlong eventin impressive fashion to remain undefeated in two starts.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Miss Monica pressed the top pair early from the outside up the backstretch. She moved up on even terms at the five-sixteenths pole, seized control with a quarter mile remaining, and kicked clear late. She won in- hand by 6 ¼ lengths, covering the distance in 1:23.54.
“She broke OK, but those other two fillies were going fast up front,” said Hernandez. “My filly was doing fine and when I came up to those other two we just went right on by. She changed leads for me and when that happened it was all over.”
Owned by Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, and trained by Bob Baffert, Miss Monica is a daughter of Early Voting. With the first-place prize money of $180,000, she is now an earner of $240,000. Miss Monica was an $850,000 graduate of the OBS Spring Sale this year. She previously sold at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $45,000.
“We had a great post and she was able to put herself into a good spot,” said Baffert. “J.J. Hernandez rode her with a lot of confidence. We know going seven-eighths is demanding but at the three-eighths pole you could tell she was cruising and she went to the lead on her own. She’s that good of a filly. I’m always happy to win this race especially for the ‘Three Amigos’—Pegram, Watson, and Weitman. I’m relieved. I knew she was going to win but crazy things happen.”