Race Preview: Sorrento Stakes - Del Mar, August 7, 2013

photo: Matt Carter

The feature race on Wednesday at Del Mar is a good one, the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes for two-year-old fillies.  The six and one-half furlong race is the second to last leg of the pick-6 and contention runs deep; let's take a look.

She's a Tiger is the morning line favorite at 5-2 and a deserved one after scoring by three-quarters of a length in the Landaluce Stakes at Hollywood Park last month.  On speed figures, She's a Tiger needs to pick it up, but her margin of victory was deceiving.  She battled with two other fillies early and then pulled away from them late and really was not even asked at any point during the race.  Jockey Frank Alvarado is the only one who really knows how much filly he had underneath, but the gut feeling is that there was a lot left in the tank.  She is once again likely to be out winging on the front end.

Second to She's a Tiger in the Landaluce was E Equalsmcsquared, sired by Einstein, who is also entered in the Sorrento.  The $7,000 yearling purchase was sent to Lone Star to break the maiden in her second start before coming back to So Cal for the Landaluce.  She has every right to improve, but the feeling is that she is not ready to beat these.

E Equalsmcsquared is 7-2 on the morning line with Concave and Stop Smiling the co-second choices at 3-1.  Concave could be part of a very key race as the four fillies she beat race will be racing before her on the Wednesday card.  Concave was an impressive debut winner on the turf and can improve on the surface switch.  She is a pace factor and with the anticipated fast past, the race sets up for Stop Smiling.

The Florida-bred Stop Smiling was very impressive in her debut.  When most two-year-olds win gate-to-wire, Stop Smiling won from off-the-pace and did so by moving in and out of traffic.  The distance of the Sorrento is going to be key for her as she should love the extra furlong and a half.  Note that co-owner of Stop Smiling is Mark DeDomenico, who also co-owns She's a Tiger.  It could be a "double d" Sorrento.

First post on Wednesday where the turf meets the surf is 5:05 pm ET with post time for the Sorrento at 8:10.