Teardrop Tops Field of 11 for Saturday's 113th Debutante

Jun 19, 2013 Travers Manley

Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s homebred Teardrop, an impressive debut winner on May 23, heads a competitive field of 11 2-year-old fillies entered for Saturday’s 113^th running of the $100,000-added Debutante at Churchill Downs.

The Debutante, at six furlongs on the main track, will go as Race 7 at 9:05 p.m. (all times Eastern) and highlights the 11-race “Downs After Dark Presented by Stella Artois and Finlandia Vodka” nighttime racing program.

Teardrop, a half-sister to Grade I winner and $1.6 million earner Pyro, broke slowly in her lone start and raced nearly eight wide throughout, but found her best stride in the stretch and kicked on to win by 3 ¾ lengths under Rosie Napravnik, who will be back aboard Saturday. 

“She had never made a mistake in the morning and didn’t do anything right in the afternoon,” said trainer Steve Asmussen, a four-time winner of the Debutante. “That’s how it can go. Obviously, she has a tremendous amount of talent.”

Teardrop is one of two entrants in the Debutante for Asmussen, who also will saddle J. Kirk and Judy Robison’s Del Mar Holiday, a two-length winner in her second start on May 16 at Churchill Downs.

The main rivals for Teardrop in the Debutante could be Fiftyshadesofgold and More Than Beauty.

Clarence Scharbauer Jr.’s homebred Fiftyshadesofgold soundly defeated fellow Texas-bred fillies by 10 lengths in her lone start on May 24 at Lone Star Park for trainer Bret Calhoun. Her win came under Cliff Berry, but Corey Lanerie will be in the irons Saturday. 

Clifford Grum’s homebred More Than Beauty, out of the stakes-winning mare Brown Eyed Beauty, enters the Debutante off a 5 ¼-length victory in her career debut at Churchill Downs on May 9. Trained by Cecil Borel, More Than Beauty will be guided Saturday by Hall of Fame inductee Calvin Borel.

The field for the Debutante from the rail out (with jockey): Mi Perlita (Marcelino Pedroza Jr.), Silver Valley (Shaun Bridgmohan), Richies Sweetheart (Joe Rocco Jr.), Yokohama Mama (Miguel Mena), Medalbu (Joseph Schneider), Deliver (Marcelino Torres), More Than Beauty (Borel), Teardrop (Napravnik), Del Mar Holiday (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Fiftyshadesofgold (Lanerie) and Sara Bay (Alexander Castillo).

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s homebred Glamour Puss and Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider’s homebred Apropos highlight the field of nine fillies and mares entered for Saturday’s fourth running of the $65,000-added Roxelana on the undercard of the Debutante. It is scheduled for six furlongs on the main track and will go as Race 10 at 10:42 p.m.

The Roxleana, named for the “Blackie” Huffman-trained filly that notched an 11 ¾-length victory in the 2000 La Troienne (GIII now known as the Eight Belles) for owner/breeder William Landes III, is a rematch of Glamour Puss and Apropos who finished 1-2 in an allowance/optional-claiming race at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

Glamour Puss, trained by Wesley Ward, enters the Roxelana off back-to-back wins and has not been out of the exacta in six career starts. Apropos, who has gone favored in all five of her career starts, rebounded from her runner-up effort to Glamour Puss and scored an easy victory in an allowance/optional-claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 26 for trainer Al Stall Jr.

Other top contenders in the Roxelana include stakes winners Burban and Devious Intent, this year’s Barbara Fritchie Handicap (GII) winner Funnys Approval and Livi Makenzie, a two-length winner of an allowance/optional-claiming race at Churchill Downs on May 16.

The field for the Roxelana from the rail out (with jockey): Sedecrem (Marcelino Pedroza Jr.), Dixie Jackpot (Miguel Mena), Glamour Puss (Rosie Napravnik), Ms Anna Destiny (Leandro Goncalves), Apropos (Joe Rocco Jr.), Burban (Shaun Bridgmohan), Funnys Approval (Marco Ccamaque), Devious Intent (Corey Lanerie) and Livi Makenzie (Ricardo Santana Jr.).

First post Saturday is 6 p.m. and the theme for Downs After Dark is “Boots, Brew & BBQ,” where patrons can kick up their boots and enjoy a Southern-style, country celebration. General admission is $10 and gates will open at 4 p.m.    

Churchill Downs, the world’s most legendary racetrack, has conducted Thoroughbred racing and presented America’s greatest race, the Kentucky Derby, continuously since 1875. Located in Louisville, the flagship racetrack of Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) also operates Trackside at Churchill Downs, which offers year-round simulcast wagering at the historic track. Churchill Downs will conduct the 140^th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2014 and its 2013 Spring Meet is scheduled continues through Sunday, June 30. The track has hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships a record eight times. Information about Churchill Downs can be found on the Internet at www.ChurchillDowns.com.

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