Vasilika Tops Del Mar's Yellow Ribbon for Hollendorfer
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Vasilika wins the Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita Park
A little more than a week after receiving a preliminary injunction allowing him stalls and entries at Del Mar, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will send out two-time grade 1 winner Vasilika in the $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) Aug. 3.
The 1 1/16-mile turf event for fillies and mares 3 and up will be the first start for Vasilika since winning the May 27 Gamely Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park. In June, Hollendorfer was ruled off at Santa Anita Park by The Stronach Group, and Del Mar decided to also not allow the Racing Hall of Fame trainer at its meet. But that changed when a San Diego County judicial officer issued an injunction that will allow Hollendorfer to train at the meet, pending a final outcome of a possible future arbitration hearing.
The 5-year-old Skipshot mare has turned in two works on the Del Mar turf since arriving from Los Alamitos Race Course. Hollendorfer was on hand July 28 when she drilled six furlongs in 1:14 1/5.
"It's not business as usual," he said when Vasilika worked. "I have 17 horses where last year I had 50."
With her regular jockey, Flavien Prat, off to ride Bellafina in the Longines Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course, Vasilika will pick up Julien Leparoux as pilot when she breaks from post 4.
Owned by All Schlaich Stables, Gatto Racing, George Todaro, and Hollendorfer, Vasilika was a $40,000 claim in February 2018. She has won all four of her starts this year.
Former West Coast runner Beau Recall, eighth in the Yellow Ribbon a year ago, has been with trainer Brad Cox since late 2018 and is making her first visit back to California. In her five starts for Cox, the 5-year-old Sir Prancealot mare owned by Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing has won three races and placed second in two others. She rallied from 10th May 4 for a flashy score in the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) at Churchill Downs, then finished second to Rushing Fall in her most recent start, the June 8 Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park.
Elysea's World, who sold for $500,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale when consigned by ELiTE, will make her fourth start in Southern California. The East Coast transfer, trained by Richard Baltas for Abbondanza Racing, Heider Family Stables, Madaket Stables, Christopher Dunn, and Jerry McClanahan, rallied to win the 1 1/4-mile Santa Ana Stakes (G3T) two starts back March 30, picking up her fourth grade 3 score. From eight starts at the Yellow Ribbon distance, she has a 1-1-3 record.
Epic Racing's Valedictorian, based at Monmouth Park with Kelly Breen, has won three of her six starts this year. From 13 races at 1 1/16 miles, she's won five times and placed four more. The Temple City mare, now 5, scored her first graded wins this year in the Feb. 9 Suwannee River Stakes (G3T) at Gulfstream Park and June 22 Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth.
Rounding out the field is Toinette, making her first start since winning the Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) in October; Storm the Hill, a multiple grade 3 winner making her second start off a near seven-month layoff; Lemoona, who won her first stakes last out in the June 16 Possibly Perfect; and Youngest Daughter, who shipped in from Kentucky in search of her first stakes win in two years. Causeforcommotion was scratched.
Del Mar, Saturday, August 03, 2019, Race 8Entries: Yellow Ribbon H. (G2T)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Beau Recall (IRE)
Drayden Van Dyke
121
Brad H. Cox
7/2
2
2Youngest Daughter (KY)
Brice Blanc
117
Victoria H. Oliver
20/1
3
3Storm the Hill (KY)
Rafael Bejarano
119
Philip D'Amato
5/1
4
4Vasilika (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
125
Jerry Hollendorfer
7/5
5
5Lemoona (KY)
Mario Gutierrez
118
Richard Baltas
12/1
6
6Valedictorian (NJ)
Carlos J. Hernandez
119
Kelly J. Breen
6/1
98
7Causeforcommotion (KY)
SCRATCHED
0
UNKNOWN
-
7
8Toinette (KY)
Ruben Fuentes
119
Neil D. Drysdale
6/1
8
9Elysea's World (IRE)
Joseph Talamo
120
Richard Baltas
12/1
