BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Nooni, the $1.8 million daughter of Ocala Stud’s first crop sire Win Win Win, will likely be among the favorites for Saturday’s $150,000 Sorrento (Grade 3) at Del Mar when she makes her second career start after an exciting debut. Owner Amr Zedan paid the high price for the Florida-bred filly in the name of his Zedan Racing to top this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale where she was consigned by Ocala Stud.
The bay filly lived up to expectations in her first start for trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita on June 13 with a startling nine-and-a-half-length trouncing of maiden special weight fillies going five furlongs. Jockey Juan Hernandez guided her through the wire-to-wire victory and gets the return mount in the six-furlong Sorrento.
Nooni is out of the Florida-bred mare Unanimity and was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O’Farrell III, David O’Farrell, et. al. She earned $32,400 in her lone start.
Nooni has the inside post one in the field of five and Hernandez will again be aboard.
Baffert, who is looking for his eighth win in the Sorrento, will also saddle Casalu for the owners Mike Peagram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.
Casalu is another coming off a notable first race having defeated maiden special weight fillies by five-and-a-half lengths going five furlongs at Del Mar on July 21—earning $45,000.
By first crop sire Caracaro out of Key d’Oro, by Medaglia d’Oro, Casalu is also an OBS graduate where her owners purchased her out of the Global Thoroughbreds consignment in the name of Three Amigos for $775,000 at this year’s Spring Sale.
Casalu has post two and Kazushi Kimura will ride.
Another top contender for this year’s Sorrento title is White Sands, who has won her two career starts by a combined 23 ¼ lengths
White Sands won the $101,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile Fillies by nearly 14 lengths at Prairie Meadows on June 6 after breaking her maiden by nine-and-a-half lengths at Belterra Park in May. Both races were at five-and-a-half furlongs.
White Sands is trained by Wesley Ward for Mrs. John Magnier and Mrs. Paul Shanahan and has banked $70,354 in her two starts. She is by Into Mischief out of Unicorn Girl, by A.P. Five Hundred and will be ridden by Joe Bravo from the outside post five.
Vodka With a Twist is the other stakes-winner in the Sorrento field after taking the $218,000 Debutante by three lengths at Churchill Downs on June 30. A winner of two of her three career starts including a Churchill Downs maiden special weight going five furlongs in the slop in May, Vodka With a Twist is the richest among the Sorrento entrants with $209,320.
Philip D’Amato trains the daughter of Florida-bred first crop stallion Thousand Words for owners Medallion Racing, Omar Aldabbagh and William Strauss.
Mike Smith takes the call on Vodka With a Twist and they will depart post four.
Night Beacon, a Santa Anita maiden special weight winner in her only lifetime race, rounds out the field. Night Beacon is trained by Ryan Hanson and will be ridden by Emily Ellingwood from post three.
