Ooty Set for U.S. Debut; Another Chance Looms for Ballado's Beach

The 2024 Jorge de Atucha (G1) winner will race today at Del Mar, while at Colonial Downs, the Treasure Beach filly begins her farewell tour

Ooty and Juan Carlos Noriega After Their Atucha Victory / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Thursday’s U.S. action will feature two important Argentine-bred mares at different stages of their careers. At Del Marin California, Ooty (Dabster) will make her American debut in a tough $100,000 allowance optional claiming event offering $84,000 in purses over 1200 meters (six furlongs) on dirt. Meanwhile, at Colonial Downs, Ballado’s Beach(Treasure Beach) begins to close out her career in another AOC, this one for $50,000 claiming tags and $74,000 in purses, going 1700 meters (8.5 furlongs) on turf.

A winner of the Gran Premio Jorge de Atucha (G1) at Palermo last season, Ooty now races for Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum under the care of Bob Baffert and will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke from post 3. Her workouts have been eye-catching, including a blazing 59.60 seconds for 1000m in her final prep, preceded by a 1:11.80for 1200m from the gate and an earlier 59.20 for another 1000m drill.

Ooty will face six rivals, including stablemate and heavy favorite Splendora, also trained by Baffert. A daughter of Audible, Splendora owns a strong resume for the level, though she will be cutting back sharply in distance, which could prove challenging. She has won twice conditionally and placed second in the La Brea Stakes (G1), Santa Maria Stakes (G2), and Santa Margarita Stakes (G2), along with a fourth in the Santa Monica Stakes (G2)—her poorest effort to date.

As for Ballado’s Beach, Saturday could mark her final career start depending on the outcome, as she is in foal to Life Is Good (Into Mischief). Winner of the Gran Premio Gilberto Lerena (G1) at Palermo in 2024, this will be her fourth U.S. outing under trainer Ignacio Correas IV, with French jockey Vincent Cheminaud aboard.

She finished fifth in the Via Borghese Stakes (L), then seventh in the La Prevoyante Stakes (G3), and was most recently fifth in an allowance race in mid-March. Formerly raced by Las Monjitas and now owned by J and J Stables, she will be dropping back significantly in distance for this appearance.

The morning-line favorite is South African import Distant Winter (What a Winter), trained by Englishman H. Graham Motion and to be ridden by Argentine jockey Jorge Ruiz Díaz. A winner of the Winter Nursery (G3) at Kenilworth, where she also finished second in the City of Cape Town Cape of Good Hope Nursery (G3) and third in the Douglas Whyte Thekwini Stakes (G1), she won impressively at Delaware Park on her U.S. debut and will look to build on that effort.

French-bred Partir (Zarak) is expected to scratch despite being second choice on the morning-line. Other names to watch include Smiling Ellie (Midshipman) and Tuck Check (Divisadero)..