The past week began to sharpen the focus on the upcoming World Championships with several juveniles thrusting themselves into the Breeders' Cup picture.Leading the fray is GI Del Mar Debutante score Miss Monica (Early Voting), who cruised home a 6 1/4-length winner for the Bob Baffert barn.“I'm always happy to win this race,” said Baffert, who was winning his 13th renewal of the race. “I'm relieved. I knew she would win but crazy things happen. I'm glad everything went well. She broke well and (jockey Juan) Hernandez did a great job and our crew did a great job getting her ready. She's sort of different. I mean she's a big filly and I think two turns should be even better. Right now, we just got to keep her healthy and point for the Breeders' Cup.”Baffert added she may run in a prep at Santa Anita, most likely the GI Oak Leaf Stakes on Oct. 3, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland Oct. 30.As for Baffert's other horse in the Debutante, GIII Sorrento Stakes winner Holmby (Corniche), she came back fine and will get a freshening.On the East Coast, U.S.S. Valor (War of Will) has likely parlayed a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' performance in a 7-furlong Saratoga win on Saturday into a ticket to Grade I company, according to trainer Shug McGaughey on Sunday.The Hall of Famer indicated the GI Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park on Oct. 3 is the likely next target for the juvenile colt. The Champagne is a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile.The Team Valor International-owned colt was third going 6 1/2 furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 8.“I thought his first race was a good race” said McGaughey. “He had the one post and he was running [6 1/2 furlongs] and I knew he wanted to run farther than that.”Of his latest start, he explained, “I wanted to give him a run, and I thought his race was a good race. He came out of it good and trained good. I was between running him in this race or taking him to Belmont. There was a race opening weekend at Belmont going a mile. I thought, 'Well, let's give him a try here. If he runs good, it will give me a little more time between [races].' That was my thinking.”He continued, “I was very pleased with [U. S. S. Valor's performance]. You never take a 2-year-old out there and think they are going to win like that. He had trained well, and I thought if he ran his race he would be tough to beat.”The Champagne will be one of six graded stakes for 2-year-olds on Oct. 3 at Belmont. The card also will include the GII Pilgrim, a 1 1/16-mile turf race that will provide a “Win and You're In” berth to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. McGaughey said he is considering the Pilgrim with Stuart Janney III's Pass On By (Not This Time), who won by a nose in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race on turf Saturday at Saratoga.In his lone prior outing, Pass On By dueled for the early lead before tiring to eighth in a 6 1/2-furlong race on the Saratoga main track Aug. 22.“We had always thought he was going to be [a] turf [horse], but I wanted to give him a chance on the dirt,” said McGaughey. “He came out of the [debut race] good. I thought he was going to run good [yesterday], for him to run that hard and that good maybe it was a little bit of a surprise. I thought he had some ability, and I think he has a lot of room for maturity. He ran hard.”Also likely pointing to the Pilgrim, Liam's Law (Colonel Liam), winner of Saturday's GIII With Anticipation Stakes, will target the Pilgrim, according to trainer Todd Pletcher.“That's what we're thinking,” Pletcher said.The Lawana and Robert Low runner finished ahead of stablemate Bold Leadership (Not This Time) in the three-horse field.“He came back very good,” Pletcher said. “I think he did everything right. We thought he would probably be the controlling speed and he was able to dictate terms. I thought he was game when the other horse came to him and he kept finding more and digging in.”As for the beaten favorite, Pletcher added, “He came back fine and cost himself a bit at the start, misbehaved in the gate,” Pletcher said. “He lunged at the start, but I thought he put in a good run. We've just got to work on his gate habits.” The post ‘Win and You’re In’ Races Likely for Del Mar Debutante Winner Miss Monica and ‘Rising Star’ U.S.S. Valor appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.