Halo Dolly leads Hollendorfer one-two finish in Yellow
Ribbon
Halo Dolly surged to the lead in midstretch and posted a comfortable 1
1/4-length victory in Monday’s Grade 2, $250,000
Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar, heading a Jerry Hollendorfer exacta in
the 1 1/16-mile turf affair for fillies and mares. City to City, who was making
a title defense in the event formerly known as the Palomar, rallied belatedly
for second behind her stablemate. Joe Talamo had the mount on the
California-bred winner, who entered the Yellow Ribbon off a score in the
restricted Solano Beach earlier in the meet. Halo Dolly has now captured four of
her last five starts, all stakes, and the Yellow Ribbon was her first graded
tally.
Owned by Blackmore, Hoefflin, Hollendorfer et al, Halo Dolly rated in midpack
as Broken Dreams established legitimate splits of :23 3/5, :46 3/5 and 1:10 1/5
on a short lead, and the pacesetter showed the way into the stretch before
throwing in the towel. Halo Dolly advanced three wide into contention on the far
turn and made her move after straightening into the lane, taking the lead inside
the eighth pole. Vivo Per Lei was in with a chance at that point and City to
City was making a bold move from the back of the pack, but Halo Dolly proved too
good for her rivals.
She kicked clear in the final furlong and dominated to the wire, stopping the
teletimer in 1:40 2/5 on the firm ground. The four-year-old daughter of Popular
has now earned $623,396 from a 22-13-3-2 career line.
Halo Dolly has captured the Solano Beach the last two years at Del Mar. She
shows two previous open stakes wins, taking the Diamond Jubilee at Santa Rosa
last year and the Alamada County Fillies and Mares Stakes at Pleasanton three
starts previous to the Yellow Ribbon. The dark bay won the Fran’s Valentine for
state-breds at Hollywood Park prior to the latter. Her only recent setback was a
close third in the July 21 Osunitas at Del Mar.
Off as the near 6-1 four choice among eight rivals, Halo Dolly paid $13.60,
$6.40 and $4.60 to her supporters. City to City, the 5-2 favorite, wound up a nose better than the 19-1 Vivo Per Lei, who was in turn a head better
than the late-running Go Forth North in fourth. Camelia Rose, Byrony, Cosset and
Broken Dreams completed the order of finish. All Star Heart was scratched.
Bred in the Golden State by Rod & Lorraine Rodriguez, Halo Dolly is out of
the unraced Comic Strip mare Spanish Halo, who descends from the same female
family of Canadian champion La Lorgnette, dam of multiple English highweight and
sire Hawk Wing. Canadian Horse of the Year Thornfield hails from one of her
daughters.
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