Horseracing's newest star was resting comfortably in her stall Sunday morning, 12 hours after captivating the patrons at Del Mar and those watching simulcasts worldwide. Tamara's scintillating run in the FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante (G1) was one to behold.
The Bolt d'Oro filly out of Hall of Famer Beholder sat closer to the pace than in her maiden victory, sitting second to Pushiness. When jockey Mike Smith asked her, Tamara breezed past the pacesetter, opened up by the top of the lane, and cruised home much the best in a 6 3/4-length triumph. It was as if she had been doing it for years and yet it was only her second career start.
The comments afterward told it all.
“It gave me chills,” trainer Richard Mandella remarked in the winner's circle.
“I've been here in California for four years,” jockey Umberto Rispoli said as he came off the track following his seventh-place finish with Pushiness. “I have never seen anything like that.”
Tamara's jockey, Mike Smith, was flashing his million-dollar smile, grabbing hugs and slaps on the back from the owners and other well-wishers.
“You don't often see the offspring of a great mare run anywhere close to what they did,” Smith told FanDuel. “But she's an exception to the rule.”
They were talking about the bay filly on the backstretch Sunday morning.
“Very impressive,” trainer Leonard Powell said. “I told Gary Mandella (assistant trainer) after the race 'She's different, she's special.'”
“It was outstanding,” trainer Peter Miller remarked. “She looked like her mother.”
Mandella said Tamara, a Spendthrift Farm homebred, came out of the race fine. In regards to a Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) prep, he said they would play it by ear.
“There's a chance we might run her in the Chandelier (G1) (October 7) at Santa Anita,” Mandella said. “If it looks like she needs to run again, then we'll run her there. If not we'll point her straight to the Breeders' Cup. But so far she looks great.”
That's something we can all agree on.
Lost in the performance by Tamara was the closing run by runner-up Laurent. Like Tamara, she was making just her second start. The daughter of Practical Joke broke from the 13 hole, so she was wide from the start. She was wide through the turn but was still able to grab second at the top of the lane and, while she was never a threat to the winner, she finished better than the rest.
“She will probably go in the Chandelier,” trainer Peter Eurton stated. “She needs more experience. She's so green. She's out there in the 20-path, eight wide around the turn. She needs to be a little more forwardly placed probably, but we're very happy with her outcome and her progression.”
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