A pair of graded black type events – the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap and the Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes – will be on tap Saturday at Del Mar as the 84th summer in Del Mar's racing history rolls right along.
The Yellow Ribbon, which is being run for the 71st time and offers a purse of $250,000 to older fillies and mares, will be contested at 1 1/16 miles on the turf and go as Race 9 on the day's 10-race program. The Sorrento, which will have its 55th presentation and is limited to 2-year-old fillies, will provide a $200,000 purse and go over six furlongs on the main track. It will be race No. 6 on the card.
The Yellow Ribbon has lured seven runners out of their barns and the likely favorite is Harris Farms' homebred Closing Remarks, a hard-knocking mare who runs her race most every time and may be well spotted by trainer Carla Gaines for a top effort here. She'll have ace turf rider Umberto Rispoli in the tack and will break from the No. 1 post.
In the Sorrento, which has drawn eight young lassies, there may be a nice matchup between Kaleem Shah's Benedetta and Zendan Racing Stables' Dua in a race within the race. Both were winners of their only starts – the former at Los Alamitos on July 8 and the latter at Del Mar on July 22. Trainer Simon Callaghan has given the call on Benedetta to veteran Victor Espinoza, while conditioner Bob Baffert has named leading rider Juan Hernandez on Dua.
Both races will be part of the track's “Pick Six Guarantee,” where a single-ticket holder in the day's popular exotic bet is guaranteed a final prize of no less than $1-million by Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
Here's the complete fields for the stakes listed in post position order with riders and morning line odds:
Yellow Ribbon — Closing Remarks (5/2); Abbondanza Racing and Medallion Racing's Turnerloose (Antonio Fresu, 8-1); Nentwig, Beast Mode Racing or CYBT's Spirit And Glory (hector Berrios, 6-1); Agave Racing Stable or Rocking Robin Ranch's School Dance (Ramon Vazquez, 3-1); Panic Stable's Lucky Girl (Joe Bravo, 5-1); Baoma Corp's Ganadora (Hernande3z, 6-1), and Reddam Racing's Awake At Midnyte (Mario Gutierrez, 4-1).
Sorrento – Barber or Peli's Feisty Mitole (Vazquez, 8-1); Dan Eplin's Dreamfrye (Berrios, 3-1); Dua (5/2); Adams, Connors, or Rasmussen, et al's Vinos Angel (Bravo, 4-1); Albert, Dunn or Hanson, et al's Kythira (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1); Gary Folgner's Motet (Abdul Alsagoor, 30-1); R3 Racing's Ur in Trouble (Fresu, 6-1), and Benedetta (2-1).
First post Saturday is a 2 p.m.
The post Saturday At Del Mar: Yellow Ribbon Features Closing Remarks, 2-Year-Olds In Spotlight For Sorrento appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
