Excellent Meeting Follows Tradition

DEL MAR — For the third time in four years, the $250,000 Del Mar Debutante was won by a Bob Baffert-trained horse.

Excellent Meeting, a 9-2 shot and the lesser regarded of two Baffert entrants, was an easy winner in the Debutante on Saturday, the main event of the Del Mar meet for 2-year-old fillies.

Baffert’s other Debutante victories were with Batroyale in 1995 and Vivid Angel last year.

Excellent Meeting ran the seven furlongs in 1:22 1/5 under jockey Kent Desormeaux, who also rode Vivid Angel last year.

Antahkarana, the 17-10 second choice, was second--5 1/2 lengths behind the winner--and Colorado Song was third. Favored Silverbulletday--Baffert’s other entrant--was fourth in losing for the first time in four starts.