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3w ago

Bottle of Rouge Upsets in Debutante as Del Mar Limits Futurity Betting

Bob Baffert lines up multiple Futurity starters with Brant a lopsided favorite.

In this image provided by Benoit Photo, Bottle of Rouge (5), with Mike Smith aboard, defeats Explora, inside, with Juan Hernandez aboard, in the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante horse race Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif. (Benoit Photo via AP)

Overview

  • Bottle of Rouge, owned by Jill Baffert and ridden by Mike Smith, ran down 3-5 favorite Explora to win the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante by a length for a Baffert 1-2 finish.
  • Smith said Jill Baffert pushed for him to ride the filly, giving the Hall of Famer his fourth Debutante victory and 82nd stakes win at Del Mar.
  • Del Mar will offer win-only wagering on Sunday’s Grade 1 Futurity to protect against minus place and show pools despite a six-horse field.
  • Brant is the heavy Futurity choice with Flavien Prat up after a $3 million purchase by Amr Zedan, with Baffert also entering Balboa, Desert Gate and Litmus Test against Doug O’Neill’s Civil Liberty and Brigante.
  • Baffert is targeting a fifth straight Futurity and a record 19th overall as his deep juvenile roster shapes both the fields and the betting at the meet’s finale.