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Bodhicitta, Prat Nose Out Tonahutu In Yellow Ribbon At Del Mar

Calvin Nguyen's Bodhicitta, a filly on the rise, came running late to get up by a whisker and take honors in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar Saturday afternoon.

The British-bred daughter of Showcasing packed 120 pounds and got a picture-perfect ride from Flavien Prat and caught DRJ Racing, Kenney or Strauss' Tonahutu just in the shadow of the wire. Finishing third was Agave Racing Stable's Harmless.

Race favorite Beau Recall put in only a mild late bid and finished fifth beaten just under two lengths in the seven-horse lineup.

The tally was the eighth stakes score in just 12 racing days for rider Prat, who now has 21 firsts at the session, second best among all riders to Umberto Rispoli, who won four races on the afternoon to forge to the top with 22 scores.

“I had a good post (#2) today, so I was able to get right on the fence and save ground,” said Prat. “I knew they were going slow, but my filly has a good turn of foot and we got it done.”

The 4-year-old Bodhicitta paid $11.20, $5.40 and $4.00 across the board and earned a winner's share of $90,000 from the Yellow Ribbon purse of $151,000. She now has amassed $265,808 in winnings with her fourth stateside score and initial stakes victory.

This was the 68th edition of the Yellow Ribbon for fillies and mares, aged 3 and up, and the winner covered the mile and one-sixteenth distance on the Del Mar turf course in 1:42.83.

“The race went about like I thought it would, I didn't see much speed in the race,” said Baltas. “She has more tactical speed than some of the horses, like Beau Recall and others who come from the back. He (Flavien Prat) saved a lot of ground and we needed all of it. When he won with her awhile back, he said 'This is my next (multiple-stakes winner) Vasilika'. It means a lot because he's ridden a lot of good horses. We may go here in the Mabee ($150,000, Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes, September 5).”

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Weston’s Best Pal Score Gives Trainer Hanson, Sire Hit It A Bomb First Graded Stakes Victories

Chris Drakos and Ryan Hanson's Weston got up in the final stride to triumph in the 50th running of the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar near San Diego, Calif., on Saturday.

The gelding became the first stakes winner for the freshman sire Hit It a Bomb, just getting the best of 32-1 longshot Girther, owned by Altamira Racing Stable. Finishing third via disqualification of the original third-place finisher Ambivalent

Chris Drakos and Ryan Hanson's Weston got up in the final stride to triumph in the 50th running of the Grade II Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds at Del Mar Saturday.

The gelded son of the young stallion Hit It a Bomb just got the best of 32-1 longshot Girther, owned by Altamira Racing Stable. Sonic Breeze was awarded third when the original third-place finisher, Ambivalent, was disqualified for interference and placed fourth.

The 1-2 race favorite, Breeze Easy's Roderick, who had shipping in from New York and was coming off an impressive victory there, failed to fire in the lane and finished last of the seven runners.

“Boy, I had to work hard for that one,” said Van Dyke. “But I'm glad I did. I was happy to win it for (trainer) Ryan Hanson. He's such a kind man and a good horse trainer. And this horse showed some class, too. Ryan told me he never got to paddock him (prior to the race), but he was just standing in there like an old pro. I knew I got there in the end and I'm real glad I did.”

Weston is trained by co-owner Hanson and the bay's score was the first graded stakes win in Thoroughbred racing for the conditioner, as well as his first stakes victory at Del Mar.

“He broke sharp, just like we wanted him to, but then it looked like he just sat there for a minute,” said Hanson. “I got a little nervous when he got shuffled back, but then he got back up there and fought on. The time was not very impressive, but that doesn't matter. I didn't think we were going to win it. I thought we'd be second to the Peter Miller horse, who had had a trip over the track. But I'm just really happy. We'll see how he looks tomorrow and let him tell us what to do (regarding the $250,000, Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on closing day, September 7). ”

Weston paid $12.20, $6.80 and $4.60 across the board and picked up a check for $90,000 from the $151,000 purse.

Final time for the six furlongs was 1:12.72.

The winner was a $7,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September Sale in 2019. He captured his only previous start when he flashed speed and tallied by a length and a quarter in a four and a half furlong straight maiden race at Santa Anita on June 21.

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Paco Lopez Taken To Hospital Following Monmouth Park Spill

Jockey Paco Lopez, leading rider at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., was taken by ambulance to Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch for X-rays and evaluation after suffering an apparent right elbow injury following a spill in the 10th race on Saturday's card, according to Dr. Angelo Chinnici, the track's medical director.

Lopez, whose 31 winners at the meet are more than double that of his next closest competitor, went down after his mount, Pretendant, appeared to clip heels in tight quarters and fell midway through the final turn of the mile and a sixteenth race.

Pretendant was in the middle of a condensed pack with four other horses when the colt appeared to clip heels with Bob In Our Midst.

Lopez, seeking a seventh riding title at Monmouth Park, also leads all riders in earnings this meet with $1,377,980.

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Oh, Brother! American Sailor Awarded Troy Stakes Win Via Disqualification

Raj Jagnanan's American Sailor was elevated to first following the disqualification of Imprimis in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Troy, a 5 ½-furlong sprint on the Mellon turf course at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Breeze Easy's Imprimis, trained by Joe Orseno and piloted by Jose Ortiz, rallied to the lead down the lane but not before lugging in on Shekky Shebaz, guided by his brother, Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was forced to check.

Imprimis crossed the wire 2 1/4-lengths lengths in front of the pacesetting American Sailor, who was a head better than Shekky Shebaz in third. Following a stewards inquiry, Imprimis was disqualified and placed third behind Shekky Shebaz.

“When I hit him the first time, that's when he switched leads and I think that's when I bothered the other horse,” said Ortiz. “It looked like [Imprimis] was the best horse but probably did cost the other horse [Shekky Shebaz] a position.”

American Sailor, with Tyler Gaffalione up, set a swift early tempo of 21.92 seconds and a half-mile in 44.01 with Shekky Shebaz following his early foot. Imprimis settled in third position and began his move into the turn racing outside of horses.

American Sailor maintained a precarious lead at the head of the lane but Imprimis and Shekky Shebaz loomed large. Shekky Shebaz, stopped briefly by Imprimis, re-rallied late in the lane to challenge American Sailor for place.

Rounding out the order of finish were Chewing Gum, Pulsate, Lonhtwist, and the slow starting Pure Sensation.

The victory marked the first stakes win for an emotional trainer Wayne Potts as well as a first win at the Spa from four attempts for the veteran conditioner.

“I'm speechless. This is my first graded win,” said Potts. “My clients have stood behind me through the years with claimers and this is where we're at.”

An 8-year-old son of City Zip, American Sailor arrived at the Troy from a runner-up effort to Archidust in the Wolf Hill on July 18 at Monmouth Park and was making just his third start of the campaign.

“We gave him the winter off this year and I had him for about three years and he really needed a break. He really deserved it,” said Potts. “He doesn't owe us anything, so we decided to give him a break this year and give him some time off instead of shipping him to Sam Houston for the Turf Sprint. He came back at Laurel and ran a fantastic race in his first race back and then he ran in the Wolf Hill, where he got beat by a nice horse for [Hall of Famer Steve] Asmussen. He came out of it well and so I was confident when I brought him up here.”

Gaffalione said he was happy to end up in the winner's circle regardless of the circumstances.

“I don't want to take anything away from my horse, he put in a huge effort today,” said Gaffalione. “I'm thrilled for the owners to come up here and win a nice race like this. It's not the way you want to get it done, but he put in a big effort and he's definitely deserving.”

American Sailor became a stakes winner in the 2016 Bucharest Turf Sprint at Sam Houston for former trainer Joe Sharp and made the grade by capturing the Troy in just his third graded attempt in 45 career starts.

Bred in Kentucky by KatieRich Farms, American Sailor banked $110,000 in victory while improving his record to 15-9-3. He paid $16.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing returns Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card featuring the $85,000 Alydar in Race 9 and a mandatory payout in the Empire 6. First post is 1:10 p.m.

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