Celebrations abound for Champagne Room after Sorrento

When the field for the $200,000 Sorrento (G2) was coming up rather short earlier in the week, one could not blame trainer Peter Eurton for taking a shot with his maiden filly Champagne Room. Runner-up in her debut on opening weekend at Del Mar, the daughter of Broken Vow turned Saturday's 6 1/2-furlong Del Mar Debutante (G1) prep into a lucrative graduation party.

Tracking a length behind Miss Southern Miss through early fractions of :22.63 and :45, Champagne Room made an outside bid into contention approaching the eighth pole, and surged past the long-time leader to win by 1 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:16.35 over a fast track.

Owned by Ciaglia Racing, Exline-Border Racing, Alesia et al., Champagne Room was ridden by Mario Gutierrez and paid $4.60 as the 13-10 favorite. Miss Southern Miss finished 1 1/4 lengths clear of Auntjenn, who was well clear of Rooms and Unforgivable U.

"It was a great idea by (his advisors) to supplement (for $2,000)," Eurton said. "They brought some things to my attention that this has been a very influential race for the Debutante, the Chandelier (G1) and others. So instead of me being conservative and putting bubble wrap around her and wait for (the Debutante) we decided to go here."

The beaten favorite in the aforementioned maiden on July 16, when she finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Morganite, this success sets things up nicely for a rematch with that one in the Debutante, a seven-furlong fixture scheduled for September 3.

A $310,000 OBS April two-year-old purchase bred in Kentucky by Respite Farm, Champagne Room was reared by Lucky To Be Me, a Bernstein half-sister to multiple stakes winner Inhisglory. Champagne Room's third dam was Grade 3 heroine Fancy Freda.

(Benoit Photos)