By Jim Charvat

Phil D'Amato © Benoit Photo

D’AMATO TRIO HIGHLIGHT G2 YELLOW RIBBON AT DEL MAR SATURDAY

The Phil D’Amato’s parade of stars will be on display again this weekend at Del Mar when three of his horses enter the gate Saturday evening for the 71^st running or the G2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap.

The last time D’Amato had multiple entries in a graded stakes at Del Mar he not only won the race but his horses also finished second, third and fourth. That was in the G2 Eddie Read last month.

D’Amato has entered only three horses this time but all are capable of finding the winners circle let alone finishing in the money. School Dance was second to Closing Remarks in the G2 Royal Heroine back in April at Santa Anita. She returned to the races on Memorial Day and finished last in the G1 Gamely.

“We can draw a line through the last one,” D’Amato says. “She’s trained well. I think she’s a filly that likes to stalk, she doesn’t need to be on the lead. There looks like there’s a speed horse or two that will lead the way for her to get to that nice spot and hopefully we’ll see the School Dance of old.”

Lucky Girl is another D’Amato trainee. She made her first start in nine months in the $100,000 Osunitas at Del Mar on opening weekend and finished sixth, though less than two lengths behind the winner. D’Amato feels with a little better luck she may have come home on top that day.

“I think she was unlucky last time,” the trainer notes. “She was about ready to make the split in between horses in deep stretch and win the race but the hole closed on her. Joe Bravo did a good job of angling in and re-rallying again. She’s second off the bench so she should be primed and ready for her best performance.”

The third of the D’Amato trio is Turnerloose. She hasn’t run since October of last year and hasn’t won since she took down the G2 Rachel Alexandra at Fair Grounds in February of 2022. At that time it raised Kentucky Oaks hopes for the Nyquist filly. She made it to the big race, but finished a distant seventh that day.

A lot has changed since then. She’s no longer in Brad Cox’ barn and she’s running on the grass Saturday.

“She’s a filly who has trained really well,” D’Amato says. “We tried to get her into the Osunitas but she didn’t draw in. She’s had a couple of extra works to get her fit off the layoff so I’m hoping for a good performance out of her.”

The one with the best shot of upsetting the D’Amato trifecta would be Closing Remarks. The Cal-bred daughter of Vronsky won the G2 Royal Heroine in April at Santa Anita but in her two subsequent starts she placed out of the money, though she had a good excuse in her last race, the G1 Gamely.

“She had to check severely turning for home,” says trainer Carla Gaines. “There was just some traffic and she almost clipped heels. To me it was a non-race for her. We freshened her up off of that and we’ve been shooting for this race here.”

Spirit And Glory ships in from the east coast for trainer Robert Falcone. She won the $100,000 Ms. Liberty at Monmouth Park two starts back.

Bob Baffert will bring Ganadora to the dance. The 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road will be trying grass for the first time.

Awake At Midnyte did so well in her first turf try that trainer Doug O’Neill is stepping her up in class and keeping her on the grass. The runner-up in the Osunitas last out is still looking for her first win in nearly a year.

The G2 Yellow Ribbon, a mile and a sixteenth test on the turf, is the ninth race on the 10-race Saturday card. Approximate post time is 6 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds: Closing Remarks (Umberto Rispoli, 5/2); Turnerloose (Antonio Fresu, 8-1); Spirit And Glory (Hector Berrios, 6-1); School Dance (Ramon Vasquez, 3-1); Lucky Girl (Joe Bravo, 5-1); Ganadora (Juan Hernandez, 6-1), and Awake At Midnyte (Mario Gutierrez, 4-1).

DESORMEAUX BRINGS HALL OF FAME CREDENTIALS TO DEL MAR

Del Mar boasts three Hall of Fame riders in its jockey colony. Mike Smith, Victor Espinoza and Kent Desormeaux, the last of whom has been riding at Del Mar since the 1990’s.

“It’s such a special meet,” Desormeaux says of Del Mar. “For all of us. We put our blinkers on and give it our best. You get our undivided attention here, especially when we leave the starting gate.”

Desormeaux has been riding professionally for 38 years. He moved his tack here in 1990 and, except for an eight-year stint on the east coast, he has called Del Mar and Southern California home ever since. Over that time he established himself as one of the premier riders in all of horse racing until the demons of alcohol derailed his career a couple of years ago.

But the 53-year-old Desormeaux has been sober now for nearly a year and the calls from trainers for his services are increasing. Through 12 days of racing he has 47 mounts and has compiled a record of three-wins, seven-seconds and three thirds. He’s brought in $316,460 in earnings, 10th best at Del Mar this summer.

“We had seven (mounts) on opening day,” he notes. “I’d like to do that every day. I hope to be competitive and at the top.”

Desormeaux has won all of the big races during his career. Three Kentucky Derbys, six Breeders’ Cups and earlier this year he became the third rider in history to win the G1 Santa Anita Handicap in three different decades.

“Everyone wants to win a rich race,” Desormeaux says. “The cheapest race on the card (at Del Mar) can feel like a Breeders’ Cup win when you’ve gone a few days without winning. There’s nothing like winning. It’s the best head-picker-upper.”

Desormeaux is not riding this weekend as he serves a three-day suspension for “causing interference resulting in the disqualification of his mount” on July 30. Like everyone else in the jockey colony, Desormeaux is adjusting to the new rules.

“It’s not as loose as it used to be,” he contends. “There’s a lot more instruction in everything that we do, like with whip riding. California has made a lot of changes. It’s just a lot tighter.”

But Desormeaux will be the first to tell you it doesn’t take away from the experience of riding here.

“No, nothing does,” he says.

Desormeaux has ridden against some of the legends of the game; Laffit Pincay, Jr., Chris McCarron, Gary Stevens and, of course, fellow ragin’ Cajun Eddie Delahoussaye.

“The difference now is we get riders from other places,” Desormeaux says. “We’re not just dealing with just the Santa Anita colony, now we have all of the Northern (California) jockeys here. We have new jockeys from Texas. We always get a bunch of new faces. Del Mar has created that since I’ve come here. The competition gets way tougher.”

It keeps the veteran riders, like Desormeaux, on their toes and he’s fine with that.

“Laziness will be told on,” Desormeaux says. “You have to show up and be seen.”

G3 SORRENTO ATTRACTS TOP 2-YEAR-OLD FILLIES SATURDAY

The first graded stake of the summer meet for 2-year-olds will be run Saturday afternoon at Del Mar. Seven fillies will line up for the six furlong race. Feisty Mitole is expected to scratch out of the six-furlong dash.

Past winners of the prep for the G1 Debutante include Lite Light, Phone Chatter, Chilukki, Silverbulletday and Bellafina. Vegas Magic won the Sorrento last year for trainer Doug O’Neill.

This year O’Neill brings Ur in Trouble, a runner-up in her career debut on opening weekend at Del Mar, missing by half a length after cutting into the winner’s lead in the final sixteenth.

The winner of that race was Dua, who is also in the Sorrento. She was the odds on favorite in her last, a five furlong maiden special weight. While she lived up to her billing and won the race, trainer Bob Baffert thinks the daughter of Arrogate will do better going longer.

“She was workmanlike when she won her race,” Baffert says. “But she was being pushed all the way and she doesn’t like to run like that. I think she’s going to be better at distance. Second out is a big thing and she’s doing well.”

She’ll have to deal with Benedetta, the morning line favorite. The daughter of City of Light won at first asking at Los Alamitos last month.

“We’re happy with the way she’s coming into the race,” trainer Simon Callaghan says. “She’s had several works over the track and everything’s going according to plan.”

Callaghan is confident she’ll make the step up into graded company.

“She won convincingly,” he notes. “She’s a high-priced 2-year-old-in-training purchase so there’s some expectations from when we bought her. She’s done everything right since so we’re looking forward to the race.”

Dreamfyre ships in from Pleasanton where she won her career debut, the $75,000 Everett Nevin Stakes last time out. The daughter of Flameaway and Benedetta both won going wire-to-wire so that could set it up for a longshot like Kythira.

Owned in part by FanDuel TV personality Michelle Yu and trained by her husband, Ryan Hanson, the filly rebounded from an eight-length loss in her debut to win a 5-furlong sprint at Santa Anita in June. Hanson says he didn’t make any changes, it was all her.

“It’s just second time out,” Hanson says. “She’s a little bit of a handful to be around and she was a lot better in the paddock and at the gate.”

Yu is excited about the possibilities Kythira brings to the table.

“You don’t get to be in a stakes every day at Del Mar,” she says. “Everyone’s pretty much the same horse. We’ve all broke our maiden. I think it’s cool.”

The G2 Sorrento is the sixth race on the 10-race Saturday card. Approximate post time is 4:30 p.m.

Here’s the field from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds: Feisty Mitole (scratch); Dreamfyre (Hector Berrios, 3-1); Dua (Juan Hernandez, 5/2): Vinos Angel (Joe Bravo, 4-1); Kythira (Drayden Van Dyke, 20-1); Motet (Abdul Alsagoor, 30-1); Ur in Trouble (Antonia Fresu, 6-1), and Benedetta (Victor Espinoza, 2-1).

HANDICAPPING SEMINARS AT DEL MAR THIS WEEKEND

Del Mar’s series of handicapping seminars continues this weekend. Every Saturday and Sunday during the summer meet top handicappers will offer their insights prior to the races. The sessions are free and held at the Plaza de Mexico, next to the large fountain.

On Saturday, host Frank Scatoni will have long-time horseplayer C.C. Rogers as his handicapping guest. Then on Sunday, Dan Smith will have Jon Lindo, Thoroughbred radio host, handicapper and horse owner as his guest. The seminars start at 1 p.m. and last 30-to-40 minutes.

OPEN INVITATION TO DEL MAR’S BARBEQUE SATURDAY

The delectable aroma of smoked brisket and tri tip will be wafting through the crowd Saturday as Del Mar throws its annual barbeque. Tickets are available at dmtc.com/tickets. 

At the “Turf & Surf BBQ” you can fill your plate with ribs and chicken and seafood cooked up by the finest BBQ restaurants and pit masters in San Diego County. There will be all kinds of side dishes, desserts and dozens of craft brews, as well as spiked lemonade and whiskey drinks to go with whatever you decide to take off the grill.

It’s held all day on the west end of the tarmac and it’s trackside so you won’t miss any of the racing action. Lots of napkins will be provided.

COOLING OUT: The birthday boy won his only race of the day Thursday. Mike Smith, who turned 58, won with heavy favorite Des Doigts in the second race…Speed Boat Beach worked for the first time in nearly six months at Los Alamitos last Sunday, but trainer Bob Baffert says the colt will not be ready in time to run at Del Mar. The son of Bayern set a track record for 5 ½ furlongs while breaking his maiden last summer at Del Mar…Teena Ella, the 2-year-old daughter of Beholder, worked Monday at Del Mar but trainer Richard Mandella does not expect her to be ready until Santa Anita…Notable works for Friday: Dirt – Neige Blanche (4f, :48.00); Geaux Rocket Ride (5f, 1:01.40); Arabian Lion (6f, 1:11.20); Fort Bragg (6f, 1:12.80); Reincarnate (6f, 1:11.20), and Arabian Knight (7f, 1:24.40). A total of 121 horses posted official workouts. 

A reminder that Friday’s first post has been moved up a half hour to 3:30 p.m…

Del Mar Statistics

 Jockey Standings
(Current Through August 10, 2023 Inclusive)

Trainer Standings
(Current Through August 10, 2023 Inclusive)

Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through August 10, 2023 Inclusive)

 Winning favorites -- 39 out of 116 -- 33.62%
Winning favorites on dirt -- 24 out of 65 -- 36.92%
Winning favorites on turf -- 15 out of 51 -- 29.41%
Winning odds-on favorites -- 9 out of 17 -- 52.94%
In-the-Money favorites -- 68 out of 116 -- 58.62%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites -- 12 out of 17 -- 70.59%