Executiveprivilege strikes a clean four out of four after winning the Del Mar Debutante
Executiveprivilege remains unbeaten in the four career starts with the most significant and influential victory post being the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante which added $300,000 to the earnings of the filly. The success has boosted her chances and enhanced her poise for being one of the top contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park on 2nd November.
The Bob Baffert trained followed the tactic that has brought her so far. She remained wide throughout the distance and went head front only at the decisive moments of the race. Usually racing wide, targeting the leader and then over riding him/her has not always been as difficult as on 1st September.
Pulling down Beholder, who was leading from right the beginning of the race, did not seem a very simple task, but the wonder filly made it happen with the crowds and connections still doubtful after both were through the wire.
Beholder hugging the wire and Executiveprivilege preferring the outside did not seem a match for running down the leader, but she nailed the seven furlongs in a minute and:23.43 seconds. The two collared to the finish but Bob Baffert conditioned filly stole the show by the mark of a nose.
Well into the deep stretch the success did seem highly doubtful as Beholder had an undisputed command of the final furlong and on top of that the jockey, Gomez, was tugging at her for maintaining the lead.
"I thought that filly on the lead was going to come back to us," Bejarano said. "I didn't think she'd hold on like that. I got busy on my filly. I think she got out because she was running so hard; it's not that she's green. She changed leads when we were going out and she just kept going. But she got there. I thought I'd won it. I knew it was close, but I thought I'd won it."
"I wasn't sure [about the photo finish]," Baffert said. "She was so far [outside], she just lost focus on that other horse. I wasn't sure, but I really thought she didn't get up in time. I'm just grateful that we got the photo.
It became the seventh time that the Hall of Fame trainer won the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante, a 101st time that he credited a stakes win and for the jockey, Bejarano, the victory totaled 12th stakes.
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