Sharp Cat, Lukas Win Debutante

DEL MAR —  Five more victories like Sunday’s $250,000 Del Mar Debutante and Sharp Cat will have earned back her purchase price.

A $900,000 purchase by trainer Wayne Lukas for the Thoroughbred Corporation at the Barretts March sale, the 2-year-old Storm Cat filly became a graded-stakes winner in her third start.

In the slowest Debutante since the race was shortened from a mile to seven furlongs in 1993, the 11-1 shot outstaggered Desert Digger and eight others to win the $150,000 top prize. The final time was 1:23 4/5 and the last three-eighths of a mile were negotiated in a slow 39 4/5 seconds.

Before Lukas’ ninth victory in the Debutante was official, the stewards conducted an inquiry after Pat Valenzuela, the rider of Desert Digger, claimed foul against Sharp Cat, who won by three-quarters of a length, and Rene Douglas. After several minutes, the stewards ruled there would be no change.

Broad Dynamite, the 2-1 second choice, was a nose back of Desert Digger in third and True Melody, the longest shot in the field at 42-1 who was bothered at the start, was fourth.

Starry Ice, the 8-5 favorite, suffered her first defeat in five appearances and she packed it in early. She finished in front of only One More Angel and was deemed responsible by the stewards for the problems at the break.

Horse Racing Notes

Freshened for two months after three consecutive bad performances, Mecke bounced back at the right time for owner James Lewis and trainer Manny Tortora. Rallying from last in a field of nine, the 4-year-old son of Maudlin ran down defending champion Awad to win the Arlington Million by two lengths Sunday. Ridden by Robbie Davis, the 15-1 shot completed the 1 1/4 miles in 2:00 2/5. Awad, who was ridden by Chris McCarron, finished 2 1/2 lengths in front of 7-5 favorite Sandpit, who was very reluctant to load into the starting gate.

Smart Strike won for the sixth time in seven starts, beating Elithsh by nearly three lengths in the $300,000 Philip H. Iselin Handicap Sunday at Monmouth Park. Serena’s Song, the 8-5 favorite, was third. . . . L’Carriere won the $210,000 Saratoga Cup for the second consecutive year.

Marlin, a 7-1 shot trained by Wayne Lukas, captured the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes by four lengths at Arlington. Trail City, the 6-5 choice, was second.