September 6, 2015
Pedigree certainly played a huge factor in determining the top two finishers in the Grade I DMR Debutante and while Plucky Elmo, a daughter of a BC Mile winner and a multiple Grade II winning dam, was good enough to finish second, it was Drill who stole the show after a dazzling maiden win and did her new sire Commanding proud with his first Graded Stakes offspring. Cutting back from a flat-mile, the now two-time winner was up in the final stride to score as the choice and can now set her sights on the biggest prize of the year, the BC Juvenile Fillies at KEE which should not be a problem distance-wise for the daughter of the 2013 KYD and BC Classic champion.
The field of seven broke very evenly with no one really keen on taking the early initiative but The Lady Bandit (140.30) was able to use her early speed to finally press forward and she was a length in front out of the chute. Plucky Elmo (2.60) sat nicely outside of Spider (41.50) as the leader got down to the rail and the only filly out of touch with the field was Minda (2.85), who dropped well back through an opening split of 23.15. As the field raced down the backstretch, The Lady Bandit flaunted her speed with Plucky Elmo in hot pursuit but she was still wide into the far turn and that played into the hands of both Spider and Drill (*2.60), who sat inside with plenty of room to maneuver. A decent half-mile of 46.33 saw the margin for the leader cut in half and with two-furlongs to go, the field swooped her and The Lady Bandit was over and done. Plucky Elmo took the lead at the top of the stretch but Drill had moved into contention right behind her and in the blink of an eye, the race was on with Spider trying to close at long odds as well. The leader continued to race wide into the lane and that left room for the favourite to move inside and with the rest of the field coming too late, it was left to the top two choices to battle it out to the wire. A late surge and that inside trip made all the difference at the end of seven-furlongs and Drill was able to wear down her pesky foe and post the nose decision, with Plucky Elmo completing an easy exacta over a wide but rallying Technomin (5.85) in third. Minda came with a resolute run inside to grab fourth, in a race that could mean something for her at longer distances, while Spider stalled in fifth while clear of both Furious Missle (4.15) and The Lady Bandit, who failed to menace late and wound up around four-lengths behind the sharp winner.
Commanding became a huge deal when he was retired earlier this season with more than $6000.000 in earnings and he can now brag about having a Grade I winner from his first crop, just like grandsire Red Rioja, as Drill proved best in the DMR Debutante with another sharp rally. Distance should not be an issue for this filly and she should showcase that in the Chandelier Stakes at SA but she all but has her spot in the Juvenile Fillies starting gate assured and she might await a race like the Jessamine over the KEE turf, as a way of gauging her versatilty.
Congratulations goes out to owner Bigking and their two-year-old filly Drill, a gutsy winner of the Grade I DMR Debutante!
Prediction Plucky Elmo / Technomin / Spider
Winner Drill
Two-year-old gray filly
Commanding-A Dime A Dozen (Forum Dancer)
Owner Bigking
Time 23.15, 46.33, 1:09.90, 1:22.11
Overall
Drill *2.60 stalked inside, powerful late rally
Plucky Elmo 2.60 wide into turn, clear late, caught
Technomin 5.85 outside run, up for third
Minda 2.85 far back early, solid rally
Spider 41.50 failed to quicken when asked
Furious Missle 4.15 no threat
The Lady Bandit 140.30 sharp speed, faded badly
Triple T Racing 🙂
Categories: Grade I
