Yuvetsi Springs Upset in Rancho Bernardo
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Photo: BENOIT PHOTO
Yuvetsi wins the Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar
The development of Hronis Racing's Yuvetsi has been more of a germination or a brew.
The Bodemeister filly broke her maiden in her second start down the hillside turf course at Santa Anita Park in 2016, then it took her another five starts to clear her first-level allowance condition, this time sprinting on the dirt.
The John Sadler trainee's first stakes win came another four starts later, stretched out to two turns on the main track June 22 in the Santa Lucia Stakes.
At Del Mar Aug. 12, maybe back at her best distance sprinting, she became a graded stakes winner with a 2 1/2-length upset in the $100,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3), her 13th start.
"She's coming off (longer races), and I knew she would battle all the way. She's a trier," Sadler said. "I didn't realize how many times I'd won this race (five times), and it kind of perked me up when I heard (simulcast host) John Lies talking about it in the paddock. It's always been a good race for us, and now this filly has won a small stakes at Santa Anita and a graded stakes here, so we're happy."
The favorite in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint was more of a shooting star than a slow brew. LNJ Foxwoods' Anonymity had won three of her first four starts entering the Rancho Bernardo, but hadn't yet faced a talent like Yuvetsi.
The early leader, with pressure on the inside from Yuvetsi and on the outside from defending Rancho Bernardo winner Skye Diamonds, Anonymity ran the first quarter in :22.08, but jockey Tyler Baze decided to take control of the race with Yuvetsi. With a clear path on the inside of the 2-5 favorite, Yuvetsi, off at 9-1 in a four-horse field, burst through on rail as she entered the turn and Anonymity had no answer. The 4-year-old dark bay or brown filly went without challenge in the stretch run to the wire to finish off the distance in 1:17.22
"John said, 'Just ride it as it comes up,'" Baze said. "And she came out of there so fast, I was right up front. Nobody seemed to really want to go to the front, so I just kept on going. I knew she wasn't going to get tired. She had (been running in two-turn races), so I knew she was plenty fit. Then she just went on with it and ground them all down."
Skye Diamonds, who was asked for her best by jockey Tiago Pereira in the turn but struggled to keep up with the top pair, came in a clear third, four lengths behind Anonymity and 10 in front of Deer Valley.
Bred in Kentucky by Frankfort Park Farm, out of the Speightstown mare Mother Ruth, Yuvetsi now has a 4-3-2 record and $239,930 in earnings.