2018 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar
English-bred Sophie P, winner of the Grade I Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita Park in late May, will carry high-weight of 122 pounds Saturday versus eleven formidable filly and mare rivals in the 65th running of the Grade II $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
The Yellow Ribbon Handicap headlines a ten-race program which will also feature the $100,000 Graduation Stakes for California-bred two-year-olds. First post time is 2 p.m.
2018 Yellow Ribbon Handicap Odds & Entries
Race 8 on Del Mar's Saturday card with a Post Time of 8:30 PM
| Entry | Horse | ML Odds | Jockey | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beau Recall (IRE) | 8-1 | Corey Nakatani | Simon Callaghan |
| 2 | Sassy Little Lila | 15-1 | Tyler Baze | Richard Mandella |
| 3 | Midnight Crossing (IRE) | 20-1 | Tiago Pereira | Richard Baltas |
| 4 | Hallie Belle | 10-1 | Joe Bravo | Michael Stidham |
| 5 | Tisbutadream (IRE) | 20-1 | Tyler Conner | Ben Cecil |
| 6 | Storm the Hill | 9-2 | Rafael Bejarano | Philip D'Amato |
| 7 | Madame Stripes (ARG) | 8-1 | Geovanni Franco | Neil Drysdale |
| 8 | Sophie P (GB) | 8-1 | Kent Desormeaux | James Cassidy |
| 9 | Ancient Secret | 8-1 | Mike Smith | Philip D'Amato |
| 10 | Fahan Mura | 5-1 | Edwin Maldonado | Vladimir Cerin |
| 11 | Cambodia | 7-2 | Drayden Van Dyke | Thomas Proctor |
| 12 | Pantsonfire (IRE) | 20-1 | Alonso Quinonez | Richard Baltas |
U.S. Legal Online Wagering
Kent Desormeaux has the call on Sophie P (GB) from trainer Jim Cassidy as she attempts to atone for a sixth-place finish last time out June 24 in the Wilshire behind Storm the Hill and Ancient Secret, both of whom are entered Saturday. She was a game nose winner of the Gamely over Madam Dancealot with Madame Stripes only another neck away in third.
Among the opposition for Sophie P are the 2017 Yellow Ribbon winner, Cambodia, who will be ridden by Drayden Van Dyke. Tom Proctor-trained Cambodia will break from the No. 11 post in a field of 12 and has been established as the 7-2 morning line favorite for her title defense.
Cambodia, a 6-year-old Kentucky-bred daughter of War Front, won both the Yellow Ribbon and John C. Mabee Stakes during the 2017 summer meeting as part of a nine-race campaign for the year that earned $572,500 for owner Don Robinson's Winter Quarter Farm. A third-place finish in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and fourth in the Grade I Matriarch - both in November over the Jimmy Durante Turf Course - made strong contributions to the yearly earnings total.
Cambodia has failed to hit the board in two 2018 starts in Grade I events at Keeneland and Belmont Park but has worked well three times on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course since arriving following a seventh-place finish in the Just A Game on Belmont Stakes Day, June 9.
Also competing in the Yellow Ribbon Saturday will be Fahan Mura, an impressive wire-to-wire winner of the Osunitas Stakes July 20. Edwin Maldonado will be up again at 117 pounds. Other stakes-winners in the field are Beau Recall, 120, Corey Nakatani; Midnight Crossing, 118, Tiago Pereira; eastern invader Hallie Belle, 117, Joe Bravo; Irish-bred Tisbutadream, 116, Tyler Conner, in her U.S. debut; Storm the Hill, 120, Rafael Bejarano; Madame Stripes (ARG), 120, Geovanni Franco; Ancient Secret, 119, Mike Smith.
Completing the field are Sassy Little Lila, 117, Tyler Baze, and Pantsonfire, 118, Alonso Quinonez, both of whom are several times stakes-placed.
About the Yellow Ribbon Handicap
Formerly the Palomar Handicap, the Yellow Ribbon was renamed in 2012. Run at Del Mar at 1 1/16 miles on turf for fillies and mares 3-years and older, winners include A Thousand Stars, Tranquility Lake, Voodoo Dancer, Intercontinental, Precious Kitten and Egg Drop.
