DEL MAR : La Spia Scores Upset in Debutante

DEL MAR —  Randy Winick fell in love last March.

The object of his affection was a 2-year-old Capote filly who was being offered as part of the Wayne Lukas consignment at the Barretts’ sale at Pomona.

“I thought she was a beautiful individual,” said Winick. “She was the most magnificent looking filly at the sale.”

On behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Cubby Broccoli, Winick purchased the $110,000 yearling for $275,000.

If the trainer adored her then, he is head over heels about La Spia now. The 7-2 second betting choice scored a neck victory over heavily favored Soviet Sojourn in the $254,000 Del Mar Debutante on Saturday.

In winning for the second time in five starts, La Spia ended a long stakes drought for Winick and provided jockey Alex Solis with his second consecutive victory in the Debutante. In 1990, he rode Beyond Perfection to a nine-length upset over Lite Light.

Always close to the moderate pace, La Spia opened a half-length lead with a furlong to run, then outfinished the 7-10 favorite in 1:37 for the mile. It was the slowest Debutante since Fiesta Lady ran 1:38 4/5 in winning a division of the Grade II event.

A twice-beaten maiden when she arrived here, La Spia upset the highly-touted Navajo Pass on July 27, then was second to Soviet Sojourn in the Sorrento Stakes.

Before her first stakes victory was official, La Spia had to survive a claim of foul by jockey Corey Nakatani on Soviet Sojourn. He felt his filly was struck in the head by Solis’ whip, but replays showed otherwise and there was no change.

“She started breezing early in the Hollywood Park meeting and I thought she would win the first time out,” said Winick, who trained the quality mares Country Queen and Dontstop The Music several years ago.

“She got beat by a neck (while third) and she ran green. The next time, she ran on a Friday night and she was real fractious in the paddock and had the rail, so I just threw that one out.

“She continued to train well when she got down here and she’s really shown a lot of heart and class. She’s been on the rail in three of her five races and she really hasn’t had clear sailing yet.”

Solis, who has been aboard for all three of La Spia’s local races, things her best days are in front of her.

“She is still green and is still learning, but you can do anything you want with her and she responds,” he said.

Soviet Sojourn, seeking her third stakes victory of the meeting, didn’t have any excuses while finishing 2 1/2 lengths ahead of Wicked Wit. Full Time Friend was fourth, then came Cherry A La Mode, She’s Tops and Classic Event. My Grace and Illustrious Lady were scratched.

“I’m disappointed,” said Soviet Sojourn’s trainer, Bob Baffert. “That’s a tough loss. But we have nothing to be ashamed of. That’s a good filly that beat us.”

Nakatani didn’t think Soviet Sojourn showed her best stuff Saturday.

“She tried hard, but she’s a better filly than that,” he said.

“I thought (Solis) hit my filly in the head with his whip coming down the stretch. She was closing and all of a sudden she threw her head. They wouldn’t do that for no reason.”

Wicked Wit, who broke last, rushed up to join the leaders along the inside around the turn, but couldn’t keep pace down the stretch.

“I took a show,” said Martin Pedroza, her rider. “For that money, you take a show. It was either that or go five wide. What would you have done?”

Black Monday, the upset winner of the Hollywood Park’s Sunset Handicap, was among 12 horses entered Saturday morning for Monday’s $300,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf.

Non-competitive in his first two starts in this country, the 5-year-old Busted horse was second in the Jim Murray Handicap before defeating Super May by a length in the 1 1/2-mile Sunset.

Black Monday worked a mile in 1:39 4/5 Aug. 24 over the Del Mar grass and Nakatani will again ride for trainer Gary Jones.

The others scheduled starters in the Grade II event are Forty Niner Days; My Style, who was won four of 16 in Europe; Bequest, the only mare in the race; Askar; Super May; Missionary Ridge; Glorify; Berillon, who set a course record in winning the Escondido Aug. 9, and Pleasant Variety, with Splendid Career and Palos Verdes on the also-eligible list.

Horse Racing Notes

Lite Light is the 4-5 morning line favorite for today’s $210,300 Chula Vista Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on the main track. The Majestic Light filly’s main opponent is Brought To Mind, who is the 7-5 second choice on the strength of three consecutive victories at Hollywood Park.. . . Freya Stark won the $62,050 Honey Fox Handicap for the second consecutive year, outfinishing 16-1 shot Mamma Rosita by a half-length. Trained by Jude Feld and ridden by Martin Pedroza, Freya Stark paid $10.60 and covered the 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:16 2/5.

Del Mar will offer simulcast wagering on both the Arlington Million and the Iselin Handicap today. Post time will be at 1:30, a half-hour earlier than usual. . . . Alex Solis, Francisco Mena and Kent Desormeaux each had two winners Saturday.