Desert Dawn An Easy Del Mar Winner for Cupid

Desert Dawn (2f Cupid x Ashley’s Glory, by Honour And Glory) kicked off Thursday’s Del Mar card with a 4 ¼ length Maiden Special Weight victory to become the fifth winner for her Grade I winning sire.

Racing over a mile on the dirt, Desert Dawn went into the first turn four paths wide before dropping to just behind the leaders in midpack. Desert Dawn was given a breather by Ricardo Gonzalez as they raced down the backstretch to give the leaders a few more lengths but was fresh for a run around the turn.

Picking off each member of the field, Desert Dawn confronted race favorite Censorship as they rounded into the turn for the stretch victory. That filly grudgingly gave in and Desert Dawn went on to win by an easy 4 1/4 lengths in the end with the third placed runner nine lengths back and the fourth placed runner more than 15 lengths back.

Raced by her breeder H and E Ranch, Desert Dawn is trained by Phillip D’Amato and was making her second start after finishing third early in the meet.

The bay filly is a half-sister to stakes-placed Thegloryisallmine and two other winners out of Ashley’s Glory. That mare is a half-sister to five-time stakes winner Grimm and stakes winner Resolve in addition to the dam of stakes-placed Birdstone Girl.

A Grade I winning son of Tapit, Cupid’s five winners give him a higher winner to runner percentage than fellow freshman sires Klimt, Mohaymen, Connect, and Gormley among others.