No shortage of talent expected in Yellow Ribbon

DEL MAR, Calif. – Fahan Mura, the winner of the Osunitas Stakes on July 20, will be entered in Saturday’s Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes for fillies and mares on turf at Del Mar. A decision on whether she will start will be made on race day.

Wednesday, trainer Vladimir Cerin would commit only to entering Fahan Mura, who has won five of her last six starts.

“It costs nothing to enter and take a look,” Cerin said. “I’d run if there is no speed.”

Fahan Mura, a 4-year-old filly owned by Bran Jam Stable and David Clark, is all about pace. She led throughout the Osunitas at 1 1/16 miles and prevailed by 1 3/4 lengths for her first stakes win in her 18th start. The $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at 1 1/16 miles will be Fahan Mura’s graded stakes debut in California. She was sixth in the Grade 2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park on June 8.

If Fahan Mura starts, she will have plenty of rivals. The Yellow Ribbon had a projected field of 12 as of Wednesday. The other likely runners are Ancient Secret, Beau Recall, Cambodia, Hallie Belle, Madame Stripes, Midnight Crossing, Pantsonfire, Sassy Littla Lila, Sophie P, Storm the Hill, and Tisbutadream.

Cambodia won the 2017 Yellow Ribbon and was third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf here last November. Sophie P was the upset winner of the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita in May, but was sixth behind Storm the Hill in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on June 24.

Tisbutadream was a minor stakes winner in England last year and was seventh in her only start this year – the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket in May. Tisbutadream joined trainer Ben Cecil’s stable earlier this summer. He said the 4-year-old filly bled in England, a leading reason she was moved to his stable.

Tisbutadream is owned by Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha’s King Power Racing, which has invested heavily in bloodstock in Europe in recent years. Tisbutadream is his first runner in the United States.

King Power is the name of Srivaddhanaprabha’s string of duty-free stores in Thailand. He is the owner of Leicester City football club in England’s Premier League.