Beau Recall © Benoit Photo
Irish-bred Beau Recall, who as a three-year-old filly suffered a nose loss in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks, was on the right side of the photo Saturday as she edged longshot Storm the Hill by the narrowest of margins in the Grade II $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap for older fillies and mares.
With Drayden Van Dyke in the saddle, Beau Recall, now based on the east coast after competing in California for most of her early career, rallied on the rail in the stretch to win a head-bobbing decision over Storm the Hill, a 10-1 outsider piloted by Rafael Bejarano.
Vasilika, the 4-5 favorite seeking her fifth victory without a loss this year, was a close-up third under highweight of 125 pounds, finishing a half-length farther back in third. Julien Leparoux piloted Vasilika in the absence of regular rider Flavien Prat who competed at Saratoga Saturday. Fourth in the field of six was Valedictorian.
Scratched from the Yellow Ribbon were Youngest Daughter, Causeforcommotion and Toinette.
Beau Recall, owned by Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing and trained by Brad Cox, was a strongly-backed second choice at 2-1 and returned $6, $3.60 and $2.20 after her seventh triumph in 24 career outings. First money of $120,000 increased the five-year-old Sir Prancealot mare’s earnings to $990,512.
Storm the Hill paid $6.80 and $3, while Vasilika returned $2.10 to show.
Time for the mile and one-sixteenth on the main track was 1:41.23.
In Saturday’s co-feature, the Grade II $200,000 Sorrento Stakes for two-year-old fillies, odds-on favorite Amalfi Sunrise dominated her opposition in scoring an easy six-length victory under jockey Norberto Arroyo, Jr.
The Kentucky-bred daughter of Constitution, sent to the gate at 7-10 for the six-furlong sprint, shook off her competition turning into the stretch and drew off impressively under Arroyo’s steady handling.
Powerful Attraction, a 19-1 outsider under Joe Talamo, closed well to be second, nosing out Shedaresthedevil, with Shanghai Keely fourth, three and one-quarter lengths farther back.
Amalfi Sunrise, owned by Branham and Naify, provided trainer Simon Callaghan with his second consecutive victory in the Sorrento Stakes. A year ago, he won with Bellafina who ran Saturday at Saratoga race course in New York and was third in the Grade I Test Stakes.
Amalfi Sunrise broke her maiden in her career debut June 23 at Santa Anita, scoring by six and one-quarter lengths, earning the role of favorite in the Sorrento Stakes, steppingstone to the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs Saturday, Aug. 31.
Amalfi Sunrise returned $3.40, $2.60 and $2.10 while earning first money of $120,000. Runner-up Powerful Attraction paid $8.20 and $4.20, while Shedaresthedevil returned $2.80 to show. Time for the distance was 1:10.96.
DRAYDEN VAN DYKE (Beau Recall, first) -- “That incident (near the far turn) cost me at least half a length. I got pushed out. My mare was going good and got thrown off stride. She was game. She was coming good. I was hoping I got there, but I had no idea.”
RAFAEL BEJARANO (Storm the Hill, second) – “She tried. I can’t believe I got beat. I knew I had to beat the 4 (Vasilika) and I had her. Then that other filly slips up on me. I can’t believe I got beat.”
JULIEN LEPAROUX (Vasilika, third) – “She was in a good position and she ran well. She gave it a good try. I think the slow pace cost us a bit.”
DONNIE BALTHAZAR, assistant to Brad Cox (Beau Recall, winner) – “Brad just told me to keep her happy and get her to the race happy and healthy. Brad called Drayden (Van Dyke) earlier today and then Drayden and I just touched base before the race to go over what Brad said. After that, it was him and her. I was nervous at the finish and then it got even more nerve wracking with the objection. I’ve come out here before when we have one running, but I’ve never won a stakes like this.”
FRACTIONS: :23.98 :48.02 1:12.09 1:35.17 1:41.23
The stakes win was the second of the meet and fourth in the Yellow Ribbon for rider Van Dyke. He now has 27 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the first ever at Del Mar for trainer Cox.
The winner is owned by Slam Dunk Racing (Nick Cosato of Sierra Madre, CA) and Medallion Racing (Phillip Shelton of Nicholasville, KY).
(Beau Recall was beaten a nose in the 2017 Del Mar Oaks by Dream Dancing.)