2024 Del Mar Debutante Stakes Preview

The top 2-year-old fillies on the West Coast will ascend to the top level on Saturday, September 7, at Del Mar in the Grade 1, $300,000 FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante. The culmination of juvenile fillies’ racing where the turf meets the surf, and a traditional closing-weekend feature before racing shifts to Los Alamitos, the race drew an exciting field of seven to go seven furlongs on the dirt. Although the race does not award an automatic bid to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, horses who run well here are well placed to earn a bid in the Alcibiades (G1) in Kentucky, the Frizette (G1) in New York, or the Oak Leaf (G2), the race at Santa Anita formerly known as the Chandelier.

Leading contenders in the Del Mar Debutante include Sorrento (G3) winner Nooni, Churchill Downs Debutante winner Vodka With a Twist, and Churchill Downs Debutante runner-up So There She Was. The contenders in the Del Mar Debutante will try to become part of a legacy of star fillies including Terlingua (1978), Landaluce (1982), Brave Raj (1986), Chilukki (1999), Halfbridled (2003), Sweet Catomine (2004), and Songbird (2015).

2024 Del Mar Debutante Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, September 7
• Track: Del Mar Racetrack
• Post Time: 3:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time
• Distance: seven furlongs on the dirt
• Age/Sex: two-year-old fillies
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

Del Mar Debutante Stakes Draw and Odds

These are the entrants in the 2024 Del Mar Debutante, including their post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds.

Del Mar Debutante Stakes Prep Race Results

The seven runners in the Del Mar Debutante come out of five different races.

All three runners who faced stakes company last time out come out of the Sorrento, which is the local prep for this race. Nooni took the lead and never relinquished it, running on to win 1 ¼ lengths clear of a chasing Vodka With a Twist. Night Beacon, after a troubled start, finished fourth and last in the Sorrento. These are the only three runners with graded-stakes experience.

The other four runners all come into the Del Mar Debutante out of maiden special weight wins at the local course. Three of those were dirt sprints. Proud Starlet wired a 5 ½-furlong race on debut July 27, Tenma closed to win over the same course and distance on August 18, and So There She Was stalked and pounced to win at 6 ½ furlongs on August 10. Jack’s Magic Girl, the only horse dialing back in distance for the Sorrento, rallied from midfield to win a turf mile on debut at Del Mar on August 3.

Del Mar Debutante Stakes Contenders

These are the seven entrants in the 2024 Del Mar Debutante, organized by post position.

1. Proud Starlet: She breaks from the rail, just as she did on debut. The fact that she has proven that she can handle the fence at Del Mar is a plus, though she will have to go faster than she did on debut and she will have to deal with tougher speed up front. Horses can improve quickly at this age, but that idea applies to the rest of the field as well, so it won’t be easy.
2. Nooni: The buzz horse of the West Coast juvenile fillies and the only graded-stakes winner in the field, she romped on the front end on debut at Santa Anita and then led at every call in the Sorrento as well despite being fractious early. That suggests she may still have some mental growing up to do, which can be nerve-racking at her inevitably short price. Even so, this Bob Baffert trainee has done the most so far, and especially if she behaves herself pre-race she may just be the fastest horse.
3. So There She Was: With three starts, including a second-place run in the Debutante at Churchill Downs, she is one of the more experienced horses in the field. If the speed locks into a battle she has every right to come running late from just off the pace. And, with a win at 6 ½ furlongs, the stretch out to seven should still be within the abilities of this daughter of top-flight seven-furlong sire Munnings. Trainer Doug O’Neill has an interesting upset candidate for the Del Mar Debutante.
4. Vodka With a Twist: With four starts, she has the most experience out of any of the runners. She also has two races worth of stakes experience: A victory in the Debutante at Churchill Downs and a credible second to Nooni in the Sorrento last out. The concern here is that her only winning races have come on the front end, and she was left to chase on for a piece behind Nooni after not making the top last out. With other speed in this race, she is unlikely to make the top again, and is more attractive for underneath rungs.
5. Night Beacon: She shot to the front on debut and held on debut May 10 at Santa Anita in a four-furlong baby race. However, she started poorly and never figured in the Sorrento next out, after a three-month lay. Now she comes second off the lay, which could have her fitter. She drew at the outside of the speed, giving her a chance for a good trip outside frontrunners like Proud Starlet and Nooni. But, she has to get her head together before the race and prove that her victory on debut wasn’t just a question of her being that much more precocious than everyone else.
6. Tenma: The “B” stringer for Bob Baffert, she overcame a slow break and rallied from near the rear to score. She is bred well for this extra 1 ½ furlongs (and beyond), and the fact that she has proven she can pass horses bodes well. She also gets a nice near-outside draw, something that could help her get a clean trip. She does have to go faster, but she has the upside to improve second-out. She could be making a run late … the question is price, though, since So There She Was could be doing the same thing at a better price.
7. Jack’s Magic Girl: Stamina isn’t the question here, as this daughter of Good Magic has already won at a mile. This makes her the only one turning back in distance for the Del Mar Debutante. She has also proven that she can pass horses. However, she has yet to try the dirt … and though sire Good Magic is a very well-proven dirt sire, her female family is very grass-oriented and two-turn-oriented. Furthermore, her maiden victory did not come back particularly fast, so she has improvement to find there.

Del Mar Debutante Stakes FAQ

Q: When and where is the Del Mar Debutante Stakes?

A: The FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante happens Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 3:00 Pacific Standard Time, at Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California. It is the fourth of 11 races on the card, and one of two graded-stakes races on Saturday of closing weekend.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes?

A: Bob Baffert has 10 wins in the Del Mar Debutante between 1995 and 2021. He can extend that record in 2024 if either Nooni or Tenma wins.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Del Mar Debutante Stakes?

A: Nooni is the 4-5 morning-line favorite in the Del Mar Debutante, and should be the favorite at post time. She broke her maiden and won the Sorrento in fast fashion, and is the best-proven entry from a barn that has already won this race 10 times and has a record of having the top juveniles on the circuit.

Q: Who is the best Del Mar Debutante Stakes jockey?

A: Gary Stevens, Bill Shoemaker, and Victor Espinoza lead with five wins each. None of them will return for the 2024 edition. Among jockeys entered in 2024, Mike Smith leads with three victories. He can take his fourth if Vodka With a Twist springs the upset.

Q: Who won the Del Mar Debutante Stakes in 2023?

A: Tamara, a daughter of the great Henny Hughes mare Beholder, won the 2023 Del Mar Debutante for trainer Richard Mandella and jockey Mike Smith. Mandella does not have an entrant this year, but Smith rides Vodka With a Twist.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.