18th Running of the Yellow Ribbon Handicap(G2)
August 7, 2021 18:40
DMR Race #6 $200.000 1 1/16 Turf
3YO+ Fillies and Mares Hcp Weights
Track Record-1:38.99 (Just Joey-2010)
Stakes Record-1:39.23 (Zalinda-2021)
Zalinda set a stakes record and gifted her trainer a third win in the G2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at DMR on Saturday. Getting in at the handicap weight of 117, Zalinda was able to easily hold-off the 116-weighted duo of Insist You Fail and Kiwi Sunshine. The three “lightweights” turned-out to be “heavyweights” on this fine afternoon where the turf meets the surf.
At the break, it was Delinquent Assembly who went to the front with Zalinda tracking in the two path and racing with Kiwi Sunshine on her inside. The fillies and mares held that order through an opening quarter that went in :23.83 with Hash Tag Hash a clear 4th about two lengths of the stalking duo and in the two path.
After a half-mile that was up in :47.31, Delinquent Assembly was still in front, but the eventual winner had positioned herself just off of her flank and was beginning to turn up the pressure. A length behind her, Kiwi Sunshine clung to the rail with Hash Tag Hash in the three path and 3/4 of a length behind her. As the field started into the turn, Zalinda decided that she had waited long enough.
Taking the lead, Zalinda completed three-quarters in 1:10.19 and the only questions remaining were who would get the minors and how far back would they be? Inside the final furlong, Insist You Fail passed three horses but could only manage to trim the final margin to 21/4 lengths as Zalinda hit the wire in a stakes record time of 1:39.23. Kiwi Sunshine battled the whole way, but was another neck back in third. Completing the order of finish were Delinquent Assembly, Hash Tag Hash, and Strewn Field.
When asked for his thoughts, the winning conditioner said, “She won like I thought she would if the race engine allowed her to run from the wide post. She is a filly on a steep upward improvement curve, now I just have to work out how steep and how far it goes. The BC will be the target, so probably going for another graded stakes, I need 10 -15 points between now and about October 5th, so one or two races. I have been waiting a long time for her to break through, i nearly lost faith last year (thus the claiming run) but thank goodness no-one claimed her.”
Zalinda (Moment Of Madness o/o Seashell Whisperer) is a 5yo Gray Mare and improves her career ledger to 24-10-5-2 $332.940. Being a G2, the winner also receives six BC F&M Turf points. For their 2nd- and 3rd-place showings, Insist You Fail and Kiwi Sunshine receive four and two BC points, respectively. Congratulations to the winning combination of Threshold and Zalinda and thank you to all of the participants in DMR’s G2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap.
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES
