BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Nooni, the undefeated Florida-bred daughter of Ocala Stud’s popular freshman sire Win Win Win, will put her undefeated record on the line Saturday when she goes postward in the Grade 1 FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club. Notable since dropping the gavel at $1.8 million to top this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale, Nooni has thus far been brilliant in two starts for owner Amr Zedan and his Zedan Racing Stables Inc.
The bay filly broke her maiden by nine-and-a-half lengths with a gate-to-wire thrashing of maiden special weight fillies at Santa Anita on June 12 then easily won the Grade 3 Sorrento by a length-and-a-half going six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 10.
She is set to face six other 2-year-old fillies in the $300,000 Del Mar Debutante as trainer Bob Baffert seeks his eleventh victory in the seven-furlong test.
Nooni tries to become the first Florida-bred winner of the Del Mar Debutante since Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Tell a Kelly won in 2010. Other Florida-bred winners of the Del Mar Debutante include Set Play (2007), Wild Fit (2005), Brave Raj (1986), Skillful Joy (1981) and Extravagant (1977).
Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O’Farrell III, David O’Farrell, et al., Nooni is out of Unanimity, by Union Rags. She has earned $122,400 in her two starts. Nooni would be the second Del Mar Debutante winner bred by Ocala Stud, who also bred Extravagant.
Juan Hernandez, who has been aboard for her two previous races, gets the return mount and they have drawn post two.
Baffert will also saddle Tenma for Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp, who purchased the filly for $850,000 at the OBS Spring Sale out of Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables consignment.
The dark bay or brown filly comes into Saturday’s race out of a debut victory against special weight maiden fillies going five-and-a-half furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 18. Although off a step slow, the daughter of Nyquist came from fifth in the field of six to win by a neck with a solid 78 Beyer Speed Figure, which is just three points shy of Nooni’s 81 Beyer number achieved in winning the Sorrento.
Tenma is out of Amagansett, an unraced daughter of Tapit, and earned $45,000 in her maiden victory.
Kazushi Kimura will ride Tenma from post six.
The Phil D’Amato-trained Vodka With a Twist will take another shot at Nooni after finishing second in the Sorrento.
By Florida-bred stallion Thousand Words out of Bourbon and a Kiss, by Sky Mesa, Vodka With a Twist won the $218,000 Debutante at Churchill Downs by three lengths on June 30 prior to coming to Southern California for the Sorrento.
Vodka With a Twist has earned $239,320 for owner Medallion Racing, Omar Aldabbagh and William Strauss while winning two of four starts with one second.
She will start from post four with jockey Mike Smith.
Also set for the Del Mar Debutante are Proud Starlet, who will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli; So There She Was with Antonio Fresu accepting the riding chores, Night Beacon and jockey Kyle Frey and Hector Berrios rides Jack’s Magic Girl.
