Anisette rides rail to Del Mar Oaks score

DEL MAR, Calif. — Anisette was last of 10 in Saturday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks on turf when jockey Umberto Rispoli urged the filly into contention on the turn.

Rispoli had a master plan. He was following Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux on Impact Warrior, who was in front of Anisette and slightly to the outside. When Desormeaux chose a path between fillies in early stretch, Rispoli moved Anisette to the rail.

Anisette rapidly pulled clear to win her Grade 1 debut by 2 3/4 lengths, the most prestigious victory of her four-race winning streak on two continents.

“I thought Kent was on the filly to beat,” Rispoli said. “When I saw Kent made his move, I went inside. You have to take a risk.”

Rispoli rode Anisette for the second time in the $302,500 Del Mar Oaks, having been aboard the improving filly in her stakes debut in the Grade 2 San Clemente Stakes at a mile on turf.

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Rispoli was impressed with Anisette’s closing kick through the final furlong on Saturday.

“The rail was open,” he said. “I was a passenger.”

Anisette ($3.60) ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.15 in the longest race of her career. Anisette earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 91.

Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Leonard Powell, Anisette was no factor for the first six furlongs, racing well behind pacesetter Ruby Nell who set fractions of 23.84 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.21 for a half-mile.

Ruby Nell led by as many four lengths and was in front in the stretch before she faded from contention.

Anisette finished clear of 7-1 Be Your Best, a Saratoga shipper trained by Horacio De Paz.

Be Your Best, who finished second in the Grade 2 Wonder Again Stakes in June and last of nine in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks July 8, closed from sixth and finished a neck in front of 8-1 Impact Warrior.

“My filly ran great,” said jockey Juan Hernandez, who rode Be Your Best. “She gave a lot of effort. I’m happy with my filly and the way she ran. We have no excuses.”

Ruby Nell finished fourth, followed by Infinite Diamond, Window Shopping, And Tell Me Nolies, Absolutely Zero, Big Pond, and Paris Secret.

Anisette, a British-bred filly by the Cape Cross stallion Awtaad, has won 4 of 6 starts and earned $346,871. She was the second stakes winner in less than 24 hours for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who won the CTT and TOC Handicap for fillies and mares on Friday evening at Del Mar with Sister O’Toole, who is trained by Graham Motion.

Anisette’s current winning streak began with an allowance race on the synthetic track at Wolverhampton Racecourse in Britain last December. She is unbeaten in three starts in the United States, including her 2023 debut in an allowance race at Santa Anita May 29.

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