Cambodia made the favorite for Del Mar's Yellow Ribbon Handicap
Tom Proctor-trained Cambodia will break from the No. 11 post in a field of 12 and was established as the 7-2 morning line favorite for her title defense in Saturday's 65th running of Del Mar's Grade 2, $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap.
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 1 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.
Among the rivals to Cambodia is Jim Cassidy-trained Sophi P. A winner by a very short nose of the Grade I Gamely at Santa Anita on May 26 in her second start since being purchased at the Tattersalls Sale in England and imported, Sophie P regressed to sixth of nine in the Grade 3 Wilshire on June 24.
“She came up to the (Gamely) really good,” Cassidy said. “But there was a big gap between that race and coming here for the Yellow Ribbon. So we thought we’d try her in the Wilshire, but the mile was a little too short of a race for her.
“We’re hoping that being back at a little more distance, she’ll do better this time. She’s training fine.”
The field from the rail: Beau Recall (Corey Nakatani, 8-1), Sassy Little Lila (Tyler Baze, 15-1), Midnight Crossing (Tiago Pereira, 20-1), Hallie Belle (Joe Bravo, 10-1), Tisbutadream (Tyler Conner, 20-1), Storm the Hill (Rafael Bejarano, 9-2), Madame Stripes (Geovanni Franco, 8-1), Sophie P (Kent Desormeaux, 8-1), Ancient Secret (Mike Smith, 8-1), Fahan Mura (Edwin Maldonado, 5-1), Cambodia (Drayden Van Dyke, 7-2), and Pantsonfire (Alonso Quinonez, 20-1).