She's Not Here will try to turn it around in Yellow Ribbon

DEL MAR, Calif. – She’s Not Here, whose successful invasion of Del Mar last summer resulted in a pair of wins, will defend her title on Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap, which is for female grass runners and the first graded stakes race of the meet.

She’s Not Here is seeking to turn around a year that has been disappointing thus far. She is winless in three starts and now has five losses – all out of the money – since her victory in last year’s Yellow Ribbon.

In two of her races this year, though, she faced Tepin, and there’s nothing like her in the Yellow Ribbon.

At least eight were expected for the Yellow Ribbon, a 1 1/16-mile grass race that was run on closing weekend last year but has been moved to the first weekend this year. Others expected include Finest City, Fresh Feline, Her Emmynency, Keri Belle, Majestic Heat, Prize Exhibit, and Queen of The Sand, with Fanticola and Nancy From Nairobi also possible.

Queen of The Sand is a course specialist, having finished first or second in five of her seven starts here. This will be her first start since last November, when she was second in the Grade 2 Goldikova and then fourth in the Grade 1 Matriarch before heading to the sidelines.

Her Emmynency was second here last summer in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.