Last seen fading to fourth after chasing champion Unique Bella early in the Clement L. Hirsch (G1), Yuvetsi prospered on the drop in class and distance in Sunday’s $98,000 Rancho Bernardo H. (G3). Now the Hronis Racing colorbearer and John Sadler trainee has something else in common with stablemates Accelerate, the presumptive Pacific Classic (G1) favorite, and Catalina Cruiser, the unbeaten San Diego (G2) winner – a graded victory at Del Mar on her resume.
Yuvetsi was a 9-1 overlay as bettors glommed on to 2-5 stakes debutante Anonymity from the Richard Mandella barn. Defending champion Skye Diamonds garnered support at 2-1. Sophomore Moonshine Memories would also have had backers, but she was scratched, reportedly in favor of the September 2 Prioress (G2) in her own age group at Saratoga.
Under a heady ride by Tyler Baze, Yuvetsi took it to the inexperienced favorite early. After Anonymity had a slim lead in the opening strides, Baze hustled the rail-drawn Yuvetsi to challenge her when reaching the quarter-mile split in :22.08. Yuvetsi had the upper hand at the half in :44.93, and Anonymity could not hang with her in the stretch. Widening her margin to 2 1/2 lengths, Yuvetsi negotiated 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.22.
Checking in a further four lengths adrift was Skye Diamonds, who was unable to keep up a long way out in her sixth straight loss since her win here last summer. Deer Valley, the trailer throughout, lost ground at every call and crossed the wire 10 lengths behind Skye Diamonds. Turkish Tabby was the other scratch along with Moonshine Memories.
Yuvetsi, who has spent nearly all of her career in sprints, was a distant third in her stakes debut in the six-furlong Desert Stormer (G3). She stretched out to score in the June 22 Santa Lucia H., a 1 1/16-mile restricted affair at Santa Anita, but could not build on that effort at a higher level in the Clement Hirsch. She’s compiled a record of 13-4-3-2 while earning $239,930.
Bred by Frankfort Park Farm in Kentucky, Yuvetsi is a daughter of Bodemeister and the multiple stakes-winning Speightstown mare Mother Ruth. The successful pinhook initially sold for $180,000 as a Keeneland November weanling to McMahon & Hill Bloodstock, agent, and commanded $420,000 back at Keeneland the following September.
