(Holmby / Benoit Photo & Courtesy of Del Mar Turf Club)

From the Del Mar Turf Club Media Team:

Rider Juan Hernandez, who teamed up with top trainer Bob Baffert at Del Mar Saturday to tally a most impressive score with their colt Hughes in the Best Pal Stakes, did the deed again Sunday, this time getting the money with the chestnut filly Holmby in the Grade III Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

The winner, a daughter of Baffert’s champion Corniche, covered six furlongs in 1:10.73 and dug in late to best rival Ruiva by a neck at the wire. The winner paid $3.60 as the 4/5 favorite in the $150,000 feature. She earned a check for $90,000 in the process.

Ruvia, owned by Three Chimneys Farm, had seven and a half lengths on third-place finisher McMillan and Bryner’s Crazy Hot Mess.

Baffert indicated that Holmby would now head toward the track’s championship race for fillies, the Del Mar Debutante on closing weekend. He’d indicated a similar path yesterday for Hughes, pointing him to the Del Mar Futurity on closing weekend, too.

Racing will take three days off now, but resume at the shore oval on Thursday. First post is at 2 p.m.

JUAN HERNANDEZ (Holmby, winner) – “She brought her game today. We were tracking that other filly (Ruvia) and I know how good she is. I rode her twice. My horse is improving, though. She did the tracking, then we put it in motion coming for home. She’s improving; getting better each time.”

BOB BAFFERT (Holmby, winner) – “She was very game. I like the way she sat off the pace and ran down a really nice filly. I’m excited for (owner) Michael Talla. She’ll go on now to the Debutante. It was fun, just a great weekend.”

FRACTIONS:  :21.91  :45.02  :57.32  1:10.73

The stakes win was the sixth of the meet for rider Hernandez and his fourth in the Sorrento. The stakes win was the second of the meet for trainer Baffert and his 10th in the Sorrento.

Rider Hernandez now has 71 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Trainer Baffert has a record 192 stakes wins at Del Mar.

The winning owner is By Talla Racing.