Multiple Grade 1 star Anisette is the headline act in Saturday’s $200,000 Yellow Ribbon H. (G2) at Del Mar. Earlier on the card, OBS March Sale topper Nooni will try to confirm her rising star status in the $150,000 Sorrento (G3) for juvenile fillies.
Yellow Ribbon H. (G2): Race 8, 8:30 p.m. ET
Although Anisette has won her past two at Santa Anita, the Dec. 26 American Oaks (G1) and May 27 Gamely (G1), the British import has looked particularly brilliant at Del Mar. A perfect 2-for-2 over the Jimmy Durante turf course, Anisette delivered explosive rallies to win last summer’s San Clemente (G2) and Del Mar Oaks (G1) by decisive margins.
As the class of the Yellow Ribbon field, Anisette must concede weight all around. The Leonard Powell filly will tote 126 pounds, spotting her rivals six to nine pounds. That might not be enough to offset her superiority with regular pilot Umberto Rispoli.
Phil D’Amato plays the numbers game by entering the trio of Uncorked, Bellabel, and Lucky Girl, giving him half of the field.
Uncorked trailed home eighth behind Anisette in the 1 1/8-mile Gamely last out, but the Australian-bred mare is entitled to prefer the cutback to 1 1/16 miles here. Two starts back, Uncorked captured the one-mile Royal Heroine (G3) in her first start for the barn. In her wake were Yellow Ribbon rivals Fuente Ovejuna (fourth) and Bellabel (seventh).
Bellabel, who ranked among the leading three-year-old fillies on turf in 2022, has had mixed results on the comeback trail this season. But as a past heroine of the San Clemente and runner-up in the Del Mar Oaks, she could blossom back at the seaside track.
Lucky Girl just sold for the top price of $235,000 on Inglis Digital USA’s new online platform to Australia’s Kia Ora Stud. Unless she improves on her fourth in last year’s Yellow Ribbon, Lucky Girl might be bound for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season soon. The Exceed and Excel mare hasn’t cracked the trifecta since taking last fall’s Swingtime S. at Santa Anita.
Fuente Ovejuna ships in for Brendan Walsh and lures leading rider Juan Hernandez into the saddle. The daughter of Lope de Vega just scored a breakthrough stakes victory in the July 6 Indiana General Assembly Distaff H., and her Brisnet Speed ratings corroborate the idea that she’s improved since her Royal Heroine fourth.
Rounding out the field is Ever Smart from the Neil Drysdale barn. Placed in a pair of minor stakes at this distance last season, the seven-year-old stretches out following a comeback fifth in the Daisycutter H.
Sorrento (G3): Race 5, 7 p.m. ET
Bob Baffert, who has won the Sorrento seven times, is double-handed in pursuit of an eighth trophy. His flashy debut winners Nooni and Casalu will take on Debutante S. victress Vodka with a Twist and possibly Wesley Ward shipper White Sands in the six-furlong sprint. Note that White Sands is cross-entered against the boys in Sunday’s Best Pal (G3).
Nooni put freshman sire Win Win Win on the map at OBS March. Dazzling at the under tack show, when she blasted a quarter-mile in :20 1/5, the Florida-bred commanded the auction’s top price of $1.8 million from Zedan Racing Stables. Nooni ran up to billing in her career debut at Santa Anita June 13, romping by 9 1/2 lengths as the 1-2 favorite.
Stablemate Casalu has a similar, if not quite as gaudy, profile. Likewise by a buzzworthy first-crop sire in Caracaro, she sold for $775,000 at OBS April to the Three Amigos, also known as Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Casalu also showed plenty of dash as an odds-on favorite first time out, wiring a Del Mar maiden by 5 1/2 lengths.
Hernandez, who has ridden both Baffert fillies, sticks with Nooni in the Sorrento. The two are drawn next to each other on the inside. Nooni has landed on the rail, and Casalu will break from post 2 with Kazushi Kimura.
White Sands, an Into Mischief half-sister to champion sprinter Jackie’s Warrior, has crushed both of her starts at more modest venues. After dominating a Belterra Park maiden, the one-eyed filly routed males by 13 lengths in the Prairie Gold Juvenile at Prairie Meadows. For that reason, Ward is seriously considering running her in the Best Pal instead.
D’Amato sends out Vodka with a Twist, the most experienced entrant in the five-filly field. Initially trained by Jason McCutchen in Kentucky, she finished fourth in her unveiling at Keeneland but moved forward to wire her next start at Churchill Downs.
Vodka with a Twist was then acquired privately by a partnership spearheaded by Medallion Racing and transferred to D’Amato. She furnished a quick dividend for her new connections in the June 30 Debutante, again leading throughout on an off track at Churchill. Mike Smith picks up the mount on the daughter of hot freshman sire Thousand Words.
Night Beacon, a 4 1/2-furlong debut winner at Santa Anita for Ryan Hanson, adds to the lively pace map.
