DMR Debutante (Grade 1)- $250.000 Purse
DMR- For Fillies Two Year Old
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
September 6, 2020
Winning the same race for five consecutive years is an incredible accomplishment. It is made even more amazing when it is a Grade 1. That is what Mb Stables achieved in the DMR Debutante on Sunday, as his filly, Not A Big Deal pulled off the win. Previous winners of the race for him include two previous horses of the year: Snow Peak and Relax, so Not A Big Deal is actually a very big deal. So, too, is this remarkable achievement by someone who is no stranger to accomplishing great things in our game. Special congratulations go out to Mb Stables on this feat! In the saddle for the victory was J R Velazquez, his first win in the race, and actually each of the five wins by Mb Stables has seen a different jockey used. The race was won in a time of 1:22.66, which is not one of the quicker winning times of this race, but all that was needed. Let’s take a look!
(¼ Mile- :23.88)- No one in the field was particularly shot out to the lead, and emerging with the top spot after a quarter mile would be Smokey Stover’s Agreement. She would hold an approximate length lead over the eventual winner, Not A Big Deal, from Mb Stables, who got off to a steady start from post nine. Golden Bay, the Our Athletes trained filly was close by to her inside. Stalking the frontrunners were Undervalued (Mb Stables) and Big Challenge (Waldo). All of these were within a length and a half of the lead at this early stage. Next would be Exultant Gal (TwinTowersRacing) on the rail, and she held a length lead over a four wide group. That consisted of, from inside to outside, Wild Wild Wild (Aer Stables), Uplifting (Fractious), Better Left Out (Estero Farms), and Just A Dream (Paradise Stable). At the back, by herself, was Form Fitting (Mb Stables), five and a half lengths off the pace.
(½ Mile- :47.11)- There is not much change in the action during the backstretch portion, but we did get a pass for the lead as the steady stride of Not A Big Deal allows her to take the top spot before the run around the turn. Agreement remained second, but looking poised to make a run here in the money lane would be Golden Bay. Big Challenge stayed to her inside and hoped for a little more of an opening to come about between Not A Big Deal and Golden Bay for the turn. Better Left Out was showing more interest during this portion as well as everyone else seemed content to hold their lines.
(Top Of Stretch, 1.5F To Go)- Moving around the turn, Not A Big Deal was looking quite good and showing why she was the post-time favorite in addition to being our pick. At the top of the stretch, she was in great stride, and leading by a length. Things were interesting right behind her as Big Challenge was looking for that lane and seemed to come down pretty hard on Golden Bay. This did not throw off Golden Bay at all, though, and she would only pick it up a little bit to take sole possession of the second spot. By this time, Agreement started to back out of it. Undervalued wanted some room to run as well and came down on Big Challenge, which would move that one down even more for the stretch run. Better Left Out was inching closer, but still may have been running out of time to catch the front runners if she could maintain this advance. Others had not yet made a move.
(Finish- 1:22.66)- Not A Big Deal would run hard to the wire, and needed to, because Golden Bay was gaining on her and seemed like she could become the streak-stopper. However, that would not be the case as Not A Big Deal would hang on, with the wire coming up just in time to get a narrow win over Golden Bay in a close photo. The runner up has plenty to be proud of with her effort as well, and that should not be lost in this race. It was extremely tight for third, but Big Challenge is able to hold on to the spot over Undervalued and the closing Form Fitting, with Wild Wild Wild and Just A Dream also making worthwhile bids. The progress of Better Left Out fizzled out. Exultant Gal was next, topping Agreement and Uplifting. Three and a half lengths separate first from last.
About The Winner- Not A Big Deal, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a two year old filly by Carson Express, and is out of In Toon. She was bred in Gustafson Stable in Ontario as a yearling and acquired by Mb Stables early on, in October 2019, for $50.000 in private sales. Congratulations to the connections! The win is her fourth in five starts and her second stake win, each of which are graded. Her career earnings are now $290.580.
Track: Fast
Time: :234 :47 1:102 1:223
$2 Mutuel Prices:
$1 Exacta: 9 – 6 Paid 85.60
$1 Trifecta: 9 – 6 – 3 Paid 1,561.40
Scratched: None
Winner Picked By NS
— NS
Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES
