Cordiality sets slow tempo in wiring Osunitas Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – A veteran mare and the hottest jockey at Del Mar took advantage of ideal conditions to steal the $86,270 Osunitas Stakes for grass fillies and mares.

Cordiality ($18.40) and jockey Umberto Rispoli popped the gate, slowed it down while loose on the lead, and wired the field. She won by the mile turf race by a length in 1:33.61. The favorite, Super Patriot, ran super, rallying wide from behind slow fractions to finish second. Don’t Blame Judy finished three-quarters of a length back in third.

Tim Yakteen trains Cordiality, a 7-year-old mare who raced for a $12,500 claiming tag early in her career. Her victory Sunday was the fourth stakes of her career; she has won 11 of 31 and earned $557,635.

The win on Cordiality was the seventh for Rispoli from his first 17 mounts opening weekend.

“I had simple instructions – take her out early and slow it down as much as you can until the three-eighths pole. Then go for it,” Rispoli said.

“I was lucky that nobody annoyed me up front; we were doing it on our own. The course is fast, and it played well for her,” Rispoli added.

:: Play Del Mar with DRF! Visit our Del Mar shop for DRF PPs, Picks and Clocker Reports:

The first six turf-route winners Friday and Saturday rallied from behind; Cordiality was the first turf-route winner to lead throughout. It helped that she coasted on easy fractions (47.08 seconds and 1:10.42).

Yakteen said Cordiality also benefitted from her recent comeback June 6 at Santa Anita, a fifth-place finish after setting the pace in a stakes race for California-bred fillies and mares. That was her first start in more than a year.

“She was much fitter today and she loves Del Mar,” Yakteen said.

Cordiality is 3 for 5 on turf at Del Mar, with two runner-up finishes. Cordiality was using the Osunitas to prep for the $125,000 Solana Beach on Aug. 15, a California-bred restricted race she won in 2018. Cordiality’s owner is Donnie Crevier, who claimed her for $62,500 in February 2019. Cordiality is 2 for 4 with two stakes wins for Crevier.

Runner-up Super Patriot, positioned last until the quarter pole, blazed her final quarter-mile in about 22 seconds after losing ground into the lane. Super Patriot actually ran a better race than the winner, Cordiality. Following third-place finisher Don’t Blame Judy, the order of finish was Sedamar, Meal Ticket, Desert Oasis, and Ziarah.