Beau Recall comes out on top in Yellow Ribbon Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. – Through a lengthy photo finish process and the longer review of an objection, there were anxious moments for the backers of Beau Recall in the minutes after Saturday’s Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Handicap at Del Mar.

Beau Recall ($6) beat 10-1 Storm the Hill by a nose, but the result was confirmed only after the stewards reviewed an incident on the far turn when Beau Recall raced in tight quarters with Lemoona, who faded to finish last of six.

The stewards did not change the order of finish, giving Beau Recall her third stakes win in her last four starts.

Storm the Hill, who set the pace and led by 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch, finished a half-length in front of 9-10 Vasilika, who was beaten for the first time this year in her fifth start, all in graded stakes.

Beau Recall ran 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:41.23 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98. The $200,351 Yellow Ribbon Stakes was run for fillies and mares.

Beau Recall led only in the final stride, a margin winning jockey Drayden Van Dyke said would have been wider without the incident on the turn. He said there was brief contact between Beau Recall and Storm the Hill.

“I had a lot of stuff to overcome,” he said. “When we made contact, it cost me a half-length. It took away my momentum.”

Storm the Hill, the winner of two Grade 3 races at Santa Anita last year, led for much of the race through a slow pace of 23.98 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.02 for a half-mile under jockey Rafael Bejarano.

“She tried every step,” Bejarano said. “I thought I won the race.”

Vasilika, who won the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita on May 27, was ridden for the first time by Julien Leparoux, a replacement for Flavien Prat who rode at Saratoga on Saturday. Vasilika was third on the backstretch and turn, but was fourth in the stretch before closing with interest.

“I think the slow pace really hurt her chances,” Leparoux said. “From the three-eighths pole, it was a sprint. I had to ask her to keep up.”

Valedictorian, the winner of the Grade 3 Eatontown Stakes at Monmouth Park in June, finished fourth, followed by Elysea’s World and Lemoona. Causeforcommotion, Toinette, and Youngest Daughter were scratched.

Beau Recall, a 5-year-old Irish-bred mare by Sir Prancealot, races for Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing and is trained by Brad Cox. Beau Recall has won 7 of 24 starts and earned $990,512.

The Yellow Ribbon Stakes was her second Grade 2 win of the year, preceded by the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on May 4. Beau Recall was second in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes at Belmont Park on June 8.