2016 Yellow Ribbon Handicap Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - Del Mar Race Track in Del Mar, California will be the scene of the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap on Saturday, July 16. Fillies and mares three years old and upward will take to Del Mar's turf track and race 1 1/16 miles for the winner's share of the $200,000 purse.

Nine older females will line up in the Yellow Ribbon Handicap - race 9 on Del Mar's Saturday schedule. Post time is 6:10 PM. Here is a look into the past performances of all nine combatants for this intriguing Grade 2 stakes - the first graded stakes of the 2016 Del Mar Summer Meet.

2016 Yellow Ribbon Handicap Field & Odds

Nancy From Nairobi 3-1 - John Sadler trained British bred mare has five wins and six second place finishes in 23 career starts. She started her career in Europe and was OK before debuting in North America with a second place finish in an Allowance Optional Claiming here December 30. She enters off a disappointing but close sixth, 2 1/2 lengths behind in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita May 30 which followed a superb three race win streak - the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes May 5 and two Allowance Optional Claiming races - all at Santa Anita. Nancy From Nairobi looks for a strong bounce back and for her fourth win in five starts when she departs from gate 3 with Mike Smith in the saddle the tepid morning line favorite.

Finest City 7-2 - has placed in eight of 11 career starts for trainer Ian Kruljac. Last time out was a respectable third behind Beholder in the Grade 1 Vanity Mile at Santa Anita June 4 after a career best effort - a track record-setting win in the Grade 2 Great Lady M Stakes on Los Alamitos dirt April 23, a fourth in the Grade 3 Las Flores Stakes at Santa Anita March 20, a third in an Allowance Optional Claiming February 11, a runner-up finish in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita January 23 and a somewhat disappointing sixth in her graded stakes debut - the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes December 26. She also had an Allowance Optional Claiming score December 3 and a win in a similar race on this track October 31. Finest City has been decent so far in her career and chases her second stakes win from gate 6 Saturday in what represents a pretty big class relief. Kent Desormeaux rides the morning line second choice.

Majestic Heat 4-1 - Richard Mandella trained filly made her stakes debut last August 15 and finished fifth in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and followed that with a fourth as favorite in an Allowance Optional Claiming also at Del Mar September 5. She enters off an Allowance Optional Claiming score June 17 after eight months away from the track and a fourth in the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes October 17 - both at Santa Anita. She now has three wins and a second place finish in eight career starts. Majestic Heat has been OK against lesser company but will be out to place in a stakes race for the first time. Jockey Flavien Prat will try to get it done on the morning line third choice from post 5.

Her Emmynency 6-1 - has four wins and two second place finishes in 10 career starts for trainer Kristin Mulhall and enters on the heels of three unflattering efforts - consecutive fifths - last time out in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita May 5 and as 4-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes March 26 and a fourth as favorite in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes here February 20. Before that was a good win in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland October 10, a decent second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks August 15 and a sixth place finish in the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap last July 19. She also finished second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in August, 2014 and had two good wins early in her career including the Surfer Girl at Santa Anita. Her Emmynency has been a tad up and down in her career but has shown good form in the past. Tyler Baze gets the call hoping to snap a three race losing streak from post 3.

Queen of The Sand 6-1 - has 30 career starts for trainer Patrick Gallagher with eight wins, five seconds and three third place finishes - a win and three runner-up finishes in nine starts last year. She won the Grade 3 Santa Barbara Handicap at Santa Anita in April, 2015 and has been up and down since. She was last seen running fourth in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes on this track in November which followed a second in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes here November 1, a sixth in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes September 26 and an eighth in the 2015 Yellow Ribbon Stakes three weeks before that. She also recorded consecutive seconds last summer - the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes on this track in August and the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes in June. Queen of The Sand has been OK on this track but has failed to place in three of her last four starts overall. She saddles up for the first time in seven months Saturday looking to regain the form she had last year on a track she's finished first or second in five of seven starts. Mario Gutierrez has the mount from post 7.

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Keri Belle 8-1 - John Shirreffs trained mare has 15 career starts with four wins, two seconds and two place finishes. She enters off a fourth, 1 3/4 lengths back in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita May 30 which followed a disappointing eighth in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes May 5, a respectable third in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes February 20 and a good win in the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at Santa Anita at 12-1 odds January 18. Keri Belle has been a tad tough to figure out but could be a factor in her Del Mar turf debut when she leaves from the outside post 9 with Gary Stevens in the reins.

She's Not Here 12-1 - defending champion in this race and Victoria Oliver trained mare has five wins, a second and three third place finishes in 21 career starts and enters in a bit of a funk since last year's win. Last time out was a sixth in the Grade 3 Arlington Matron Stakes May 28 after a sixth in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Mile, a seventh in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes in April, an eighth in the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes here November 29 and a seventh in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes at Keeneland October 3. She has looked great at times but is in need of a strong bounce back after five straight unflattering starts. Jockey Drayden Van Dyke will try to accomplish that goal from gate 8.

Prize Exhibit 12-1 - British bred James Cassidy trained filly finished fourth in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and has certainly been up and down since. She posted two nice wins early last summer - the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes in June and the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at Del Mar in July. She went on to a respectable third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks in August and a second in the 2015 Yellow Ribbon Stakes in September. She hasn't looked great since however - a sixth last time out in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park June 11 followed a twelfth in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita May 5, a sixth in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes in February, a seventh in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes and a win in the Grade 2 Monrovia Stakes in January. She failed to place in her previous two starts as well. Prize Exhibit has placed in just one of her last seven starts overall and enters this race in a serious funk. Sergio Gonzalez will try to change all of that from gate 4 Saturday.

Fresh Feline 12-1 - John Sherreffs trained mare made her stakes debut December 27 and finished seventh in the Grade 3 Robert J. Frankel Stakes here and followed that with a fourth in the minor Astra Stakes January 7 and a respectable third last time out in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes March 26 - all at Santa Anita. Before those results she posted two wins, five seconds and three third place finishes in 12 previous career starts. She placed in six straight races at the end of last year (all Allowance Optional Claiming) - a win, four seconds and a third place finish - the win coming in April at Santa Anita. Fresh Feline looks for her first win in 14 months and hopes to build on a decent effort last time out. Victor Espinoza has been tabbed to ride from the rail.

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2016 Yellow Ribbon Handicap Entries & Odds

Race 9 on Del Mar's Saturday card with a Post Time of 9:10 PM.