Anisette Dominates Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar
Del Mar, August 11, 2024
In the 72nd running of the Grade 2, $200,500 Yellow Ribbon Handicap, the 3-10 favorite Anisette (GB) delivered an impressive 1 1/4-length victory on the turf at Del Mar.
Owned by Aron Wellman’s Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the classy 4-year-old filly by Ireland stallion Awtaad was ridden to perfection by jockey Umberto Rispoli. Anisette waited patiently on the turn before accelerating past her rivals when the room opened up.
“I knew Bellabel up ahead of me is the kind that wants to lug out, so I knew there’d be a spot for me coming home,” said Rispoli. “I also knew I was on the best filly. That makes a difference. I was giving (6-8) pounds away, so you have to be aware of that. But I won today even easier than it looked. She was the best.”
Trainer Leonard Powell, a native of France, was delighted with the performance.
“They went the second quarter in 23, and they didn’t back up, but I felt she was in a good spot. When they made the turn, Umberto had to choose outside or inside, and remember, she had to give six, eight, 10 pounds to the field, so weight did matter. But once she leveled off, she really went on, and at the sixteenth pole, I knew she would get there.”
There was a rare dead heat for second between Uncorked and Fuente Ovejuna, both finishing exactly even behind the winner. Anisette covered the 1 1/16-mile turf course in 1:40.94.
The victory was Anisette’s seventh in 11 career starts, boosting her total earnings to $906,871. Six of her seven wins have come on the turf, including three Grade 1 and two Grade 2 victories. This was the mare’s third triumph at Del Mar’s turf course.
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