Del Mar: Anisette brings class into the Yellow Ribbon

Anisette was the belle of Del Mar last year. She won the Grade 2 San Clemente on opening weekend of the 2023 summer meet and followed with an impressive victory in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks a month later. She was brilliant in both races, showing an eye-catching turn of foot.

The England-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 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2), 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 1 titles. After passing on the Breeders’ Cup and running instead in the Autumn Miss (G3) at Santa Anita, where she ran second, Anisette captured the American Oaks (G1) and, after a brief freshening, she came back with a winning run in the Gamely (G1) 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 2 1/2 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 whom 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 Megahertz (G3) 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 Clement Hirsch (G1). 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 Royal Heroine (G3) at Santa Anita, finishing fourth, 5 1/2 lengths behind Uncorked.

The 72nd running of the Yellow Ribbon will be the eighth race on the 10-race card Saturday. Probable post is 8:30 p.m. EDT.