Anonymity Takes on Skye Diamonds in Rancho Bernardo

Skye Diamonds hasn't been competing in graded stakes for that long.

Her first try came in the Adoration Stakes (G3) in May 2017, when she finished second but was disqualified to fifth, and since then she's won two graded events and placed in three others. But she's been around long enough now where she's facing an entirely new set of fillies and mares.

At her peak, when she won the Great Lady M Stakes (G2) and Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3) back-to-back in 2017, she defeated the likes of grade 1 winners Finest City and Constellation, and recently she tangled with multiple graded winner Marley's Freedom, who is headed to the Aug. 25 Ketel One Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.

Now the California-bred First Dude  mare will take on another group of challengers in defense of her Rancho Bernardo title Aug. 12 at Del Mar, and trainer Bill Spawr was encouraged by her last start, a runner-up effort to Marley's Freedom in the July 7 Great Lady M at Los Alamitos Race Course.

"Everybody is saying she might not be what she was, but if you watch that race, she kept putting away fresh horses who were making her run before she wanted to. She never got a breather," Spawr said of the 6 1/2-furlong sprint where Skye Diamonds was closer to the pace than she normally is and still fought on late as Marley's Freedom closed to win. "Take nothing away from the winner, but if we had that trip, what would have happened?"

BALAN: Marley's Freedom Gets by Skye Diamonds in Great Lady M.

The next up-and-coming filly in the Southern California sprint division, LNJ Foxwoods' Anonymity, will look to spoil Skye Diamonds' repeat in the 6 1/2-furlong Rancho Bernardo.

A 4-year-old Tapit  filly who was purchased for $600,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling sale, Anonymity has only raced four times but has yet to misfire. She won her debut by 3 3/4 lengths sprinting at Del Mar for trainer Richard Mandella in August 2017, finished second to stakes horse Just a Little Hope in her second start at Santa Anita Park in October, and has been untouchable in two 2018 races.

First came a 4 1/2-length optional-claiming allowance victory in June at Santa Anita, and then she moved up in an allowance condition to crush a field of eight by 8 1/4 lengths July 29 at Del Mar.

The lone 3-year-old in the group is multiple grade 1 winner Moonshine Memories, who won an allowance at Del Mar July 19. It was supposed to be a prep for the Sept. 2 Prioress Stakes (G2) at Saratoga, but trainer Simon Callaghan decided to keep the Malibu Moon  filly at home in Southern California. She's winless in two stakes in 2018 but won the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and Chandelier Stakes (G1) as a 2-year-old.

BALAN: Moonshine Memories Ekes Out Allowance Prep at Del Mar

Also in the field is Hronis Racing's Santa Lucia Stakes winner Yuvetsi, who earned her stakes score around two turns June 22 at Santa Anita, then finished fourth in the Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) last time out at Del Mar, but she was a sprinter before those efforts for trainer John Sadler.

Rounding out the field is stakes winner Deer Valley and stakes-placed Turkish Tabby.

Entries: Rancho Bernardo H. (G3)

Del Mar, Sunday, August 12, 2018, Race 3

• Grade III
• 6 1/2f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:03 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Turkish Tabby (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	116	Jerry Hollendorfer	15/1
2	2Yuvetsi (KY)	Tyler Baze	118	John W. Sadler	6/1
3	3Anonymity (KY)	Flavien Prat	119	Richard E. Mandella	8/5
4	4Skye Diamonds (CA)	Tiago Josue Pereira	122	William Spawr	9/5
5	5Deer Valley (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	117	Thomas F. Proctor	12/1
6	6Moonshine Memories (KY)	Mike E. Smith	117	Simon Callaghan	3/1