Anisette © Benoit Photo
ANISETTE RETURNS TO DEL MAR FOR G2 YELLOW RIBBON SATURDAY
Anisette was the Belle of Del Mar last year. She won the G2 San Clemente on opening weekend of the 2023 summer meet and followed with an impressive victory in the G1 Del Mar Oaks a month later. She was brilliant in both races, showing an eye-catching turn of foot.
The English-bred out of the barn of trainer Leonard Powell is back at Del Mar as a 4-year-old this year and headlines Saturday’s G2 Yellow Ribbon, a mile and a sixteenth test on the Jimmy Durante turf course for fillies and mares three and up. A six-pack of talented runners has been assembled for the race, but none with the sparkling resume like Anisette’s.
She comes into the race off of back-to-back Grade I titles. After passing on the Breeders’ Cup and running instead in the G3 Autumn Miss at Santa Anita, where she ran second, Anisette captured the G1 American Oaks and, after a brief freshening, she came back with a winning run in the G1 Gamely in May.
“I think the main thing is we gave her a break this winter after the American Oaks,” Powell says about keeping his filly in top form. “She went to Bradbury (Farm, 15-minutes north of Santa Anita) for six weeks and did freshen up. We haven’t over raced her. We didn’t go to every dance. We kind of choose our spots.”
It’s been 2½ months since Anisette last raced.
“She’s very nice,” Powell contends. “She’s very straight forward and this year she’s matured a bit from last year. She’s gotten a bit stronger but is still a very pleasant filly.”
Trainer Phil D’Amato brings his customary tour de force to the Yellow Ribbon with three entries, two of which are graded stakes winners.
Uncorked took down the G3 Royal Heroine at Santa Anita in April, but followed up with a last-place finish in the G1 Gamely.
“She never had a chance to get a clean run,” D’Amato says. “She was stuck on the inside. Granted she was running against much tougher foes. Overall, I think this is a little bit easier group, minus the favorite, and I think if we can get a clean run at them at the top of the lane she’ll show us she can compete with these.”
Bellabel won the G3 Megahertz at Santa Anita in February coming off of a 16-month layoff. She went wire-to-wire that day and has been on or near the lead in her subsequent two starts.
“I think by the way the race shapes up she’ll be on the lead,” D’Amato predicts. ”I had Kimura breeze her the other day and I really liked how she went. She’s a graded stakes winner here at Del Mar and hopefully that bodes well for more success here.”
Bellabel won the San Clemente in 2022.
D’Amato’s other entry is Lucky Girl, an Irish-bred who ran fourth in last year’s Yellow Ribbon won by the very talented mare Closing Remarks.
Trainer Brendan Walsh continues shipping live entries into Del Mar. Last week it was Pretty Mischievous for the G1 Clement Hirsch. This week it’s Fuente Ovejuna, winner of the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff at Horseshoe Indiana last out. This is not the mare’s first trip out west to California. She ran in the G3 Royal Heroine at Santa Anita, finishing fourth, 5 ½ lengths behind Uncorked.
The 72nd running of the G2 Yellow Ribbon will be the eighth race on the 10-race card Saturday. Probable post is 5:30 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and morning line odds: Uncorked (Antonio Fresu, 5-1); Anisette (Umberto Rispoli, 3/5); Fuente Ovejuna (Juan Hernandez, 10-1); Lucky Girl (Hector Berrios, 12-1); Bellabel (Kazushi Kimura, 6-1), and Ever Smart (Mike Smith, 12-1).
BAFFERT DUO READY TO FLY IN G3 SORRENTO SATURDAY
It’s hard to pinpoint Bob Baffert’s specialty. He’s a former Quarter horse trainer so he knows speed. He has a top distaffer in his barn in the G1 Clement Hirsch winner, Adare Manor. He has a top handicap horse in National Treasure (despite his showing in the Whitney last week). He has a top grass miler in Du Jour and he always has a strong group of 3-year-olds like Muth, Prince of Monaco and Parenting.
But it could be argued that when it comes to 2-year olds, here is where Baffert is at his best, especially on the West Coast. As has been his M.O. over the years, Baffert has a plethora of budding juveniles at Del Mar this summer.
Two will be on display Saturday in the G3 Sorrento Stakes. Nooni is a $1.8 million purchase this past March by Amr Zedan and Zedan Racing. Casalu was a $775,000 purchase by the prominent partnership of Pegram, Watson and Weitman.
Both fillies put in impressive debuts. Nooni broke her maiden by 9 ½ lengths. Casalu won her debut by 5 ¼ lengths. Baffert says it was pretty much what he expected out of them.
“Both of them are very fast with a lot of class,” Baffert says. “We weren’t surprised when they won. We were hoping they would.”
As far as Baffert is concerned, now comes the real test for his budding fillies.
“The second out is always important,” he notes. “They’re running against winners. It’s always tough because you never know how they’re going to react, how they’re going to behave in the paddock.”
Despite going in with such a hot hand, Baffert is not happy. Both of his horses drew inside posts, Nooni in the one hole, Casalu right next door in post #2.
“I hate it when they draw next to each other,” remarks Baffert. “It’s all speed and when you’re on the inside you have to commit. It would have been ideal to have one of them on the outside. There’s going to be so much speed in there, the one who can sit will have the advantage.”
Trainer Phil D’Amato brings Vodka With a Twist to the Sorrento. The daughter of Thousand Words last raced in Kentucky where she won the $200,000 Debutante at Churchill Downs at the end of June.
“She’s done well,” D’Amato says. “She’s been here for a long time now. She breezed at Santa Anita then came down here and breezed a few more times. Mike Smith breezed her a few times and I’m expecting a good race.”
He says shipping 2-year-olds is no different than shipping horses in general.
“Some handle it no problem and others it’s not for them,” he notes. “You just have to know. The quickest way from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ is your best chance to have success shipping horses.”
Vodka With a Twist broke her maiden and won the Debutante on “off” tracks. She’ll be working with a fast track on Saturday but D’Amato doesn’t see that as an issue.
“I don’t think so,” he says, “not from what I see of her training on the main track. She can sit off horses if you want. Just a neat filly.”
Another horse shipping in for the Sorrento is White Sands from the Wesley Ward barn. The daughter of Into Mischief broke her maiden at Belterra Park in Cincinnati in May, winning by 9 ½ lengths and then followed up with a 13 ¾ length victory in the $100,000 Pure Gold Juvenile Stakes at Prairie Meadows in Iowa. She’s entered in both the Sorrento and against the boys in the G3 Best Pal on Sunday. Ward has up until an hour before post time in the Sorrento to make a decision.
The 56th running of the G3 Sorrento will go off as Race #5 on Saturday’s 10-race card. The probable post time is 4 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail with the jockeys and morning line odds: Nooni (Juan Hernandez, 6/5); Casalu (Kazushi Kimura, 7/2); Night Beacon (Emily Ellingwood, 10-1); Vodka With a Twist (4-1) and White Sands (Joe Bravo, 3-1).
HANDICAPPING SEMINARS THIS WEEKEND AT DEL MAR
Del Mar offers a series of handicapping seminars this weekend. Every Saturday and Sunday during the summer meet, top handicappers will offer their expertise prior to the races. The sessions are free on the patio of the Hacienda Room alongside the Plaza de Mexico behind the grandstand, west of the paddock.
On Saturday, host Frank Scatoni will have author David Beltran as his handicapping guest. On Sunday, Dan Smith and handicapper and radio host Jon Lindo will lend their insights into the races. The seminars start at 1 p.m. and last 30-to-35 minutes.
TACOS & TEQUILA FESTIVAL SATURDAY AT DEL MAR
Can’t have tacos without a little tequila? Can’t have tequila without a taco? Then Del Mar’s Tacos and Tequila Festival is just for you. It takes place Saturday. Specialty tequilas, margaritas and cervezas will be served with brand specialists on hand to answer your questions. Tacos from some of San Diego’s best and most popular taco shops will be available for purchase, all while the horses race just a few steps away. The party begins at 2 p.m. at the Seaside Cabana at the west end of the tarmac. Tickets are available online. You must be 21 or older.
COOLING OUT: Jockey Joe Bravo is back at Del Mar this weekend. The veteran rider is in town to ride trainer Wesley Ward’s White Sands in the G3 Sorrento Stakes Saturday. Bravo was supposed to have a second mount in race 10 but the horse was scratched…Jockey Antonio Fresu had a riding triple Thursday to leap into a three-way tie for second in the jockey standings. He has 11 victories at the meet, five less than the front runner and defending riding champ Juan Hernandez…One of the top contenders in the female turf division is being pointed to the G2 John C. Mabee at Del Mar September 7. Didia is a multiple graded stakes winner with career earnings exceeding $1.5 million. Her trainer, Ignacio Correas, likes the idea of getting a race into her on the track where the Breeders’ Cup will be run…Notable works on Friday: Dirt – Newgate (3f, :36.40); Skinner (3f, :37.40); Express Train (4f, :51.20); Formidable Man (4f, :47.60); Sweet Azteca (5f, :59.40) and Wynstock (5f, 1:01.60). 115 horses put in official works Friday morning.