Princess Grace Makes It Three in a Row in Yellow Ribbon
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Princess Grace wins the Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar
Susan and John Moore's Princess Grace has strung together three consecutive graded stakes victories to go 5-for-6 in her racing career. The homebred's latest achievement came in the $202,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar, where she split foes and kicked clear to take the 1 1/16-mile turf event for fillies and mares 3 and up.
Prior to the Yellow Ribbon, Princess Grace kicked off her 4-year-old season by winning the July 6 Dr. James Penny Memorial Stakes (G3T) at Parx Racing. She closed out her sophomore campaign by taking the Nov. 14 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs.
Michael Stidham trains the daughter of Karakontie .
"I will tell you this: this filly is tenacious and one of the most hard-trying fillies I've ever trained. I trained her mother (Masquerade ) and she was just like that—not quite as talented, but always digging in and trying to win every time out," Stidham said. "This little filly has been at six different racetracks and she should be undefeated, the one loss was just unlucky.
"I don't know what's next, I haven't looked past this race. This was going to be her test to step up to another league and she obviously passed the test really well."
With Kent Desormeaux in the irons Saturday, Princess Grace was fourth through the first quarter-mile then fifth the next two quarters as Raymundos Secret led through fractions of :23.06, :46.61, and 1:10.46. Desormeaux guided her between foes at the quarter pole, waited for running room leaving the turn, then asked his mount to split rivals at the top of the stretch.
Once free, Princess Grace kicked clear and held off a late-running Dogtag to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The final time on the firm turf was 1:40.84. Princess Grace returned $9.20 on a $2 win ticket as a close second choice.
"Michael told me one thing before the race that I used to advantage today: He said 'She's brave.' When that hole opened turning for home, I sent her through and she went right on with it," Desormeaux said. "She was a bit keen going into the first turn, but on the backside she was just all floppy ears and off the bit; taking it easy. I clucked to her at the three (eighths pole) and from there she just carried me home. Nice win on a nice filly."
Dogtag outfinished third-placed Maxim Rate by 1 1/2 lengths. Bodhicitta , Keeper Ofthe Stars , Charmaine's Mia , Laura's Light , Brooke , and Raymundos Secret completed the order of finish. Ippodamia's Girl was scratched.
Princess Grace, an earner of $440,460, was bred in Kentucky and is the first foal out of the stakes-placed Silent Name mare Masquerade. Her dam also has an unraced 2-year-old Kitten's Joy filly named Catnip who has worked consistently at Fair Hill Training Center since the start of June as well as a Frosted filly born this year. The mare was bred to American Pharoah for 2022.