The Grade 2, $250,000
Yellow
Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar is the former Palomar Handicap and should not to
be confused with the Grade 1 event at Santa Anita, which has been renamed the
Rodeo Drive and will be held on September 29. Monday’s Yellow Ribbon at 1 1/16
miles on turf will bring together a solid field of nine fillies and mares,
including the top three finishers from the Grade 2 John C. Mabee at Del Mar
earlier in the meet.
City to City showed her affinity for the seaside course with a nose win in
the Mabee and the Jerry Hollendorfer-trained mare will make a title defense
Monday, winning last year’s Palomar by nearly a lengths. The five-year-old mare
has also placed in her other two stakes appearances on the local turf and owns a
3-2-0-1 mark at the distance. Regular rider Corey Nakatani will guide the late
runner.
Mabee runner-up All Star Heart merits serious respect. An allowance scorer at
Del Mar last year, the Grade 2-winning mare seldom runs a bad one for Ron
McAnally and jockey Brice Blanc will have plenty of options aboard the stalker
from the far outside post. Go Forth North weakened slightly to third after
setting the pace in the Mabee and will attempt to revenge a runner-up placing in
this event last year. The A.C. Avila trainee could revert to rating tactics
beneath David Flores, but she figures to be up close early from post 8.
Broken Dreams, Byrony and Halo Dolly, the respective top three finishers in
the July 21 Osunitas at Del Mar, are all entered in the Yellow Ribbon, and Halo
Dolly came back to capture the August 19 Solano Beach Stakes 15 days ago.
Del Mar will also offer the $150,000
I’m Smokin
Stakes for California-bred juveniles and the open $100,000
Oak
Tree Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes for females.
Strong Wind, a 4 1/4-length winner of the August 1 Graduation Stakes over the
Polytrack, is the one to beat in the six-furlong I’m Smokin. Kevin Krigger rides
the Steve Knapp pupil. The six-horse field also includes a pair of maiden
winners from the barn of John Sadler, Ballard Ruler and Life a Riley.
Speedinthrucity, who is cross-entered to Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar
Debutante, is the likely favorite if her connections opt for the Juvenile
Fillies Turf. The Peter Miller charge exits a rallying second to
Executiveprivilege in the Grade 3 Sorrento on August 8. Twelve fillies,
including a pair of also-eligibles, were entered for the one-mile turf affair.
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com