Warming, with change in strategy, outsteps Princesa Moche in Yellow Ribbon
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DEL MAR, Calif. - The blueprint jockey Juan Hernandez envisioned for Warming changed rapidly shortly after the start of Saturday’s Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Del Mar.
Hernandez hoped to give Warming a stalking trip in the $201,000 race at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Instead, Warming was last of seven shortly after the first furlong.
The revised plan worked. Warming unleashed a strong rally on the turn and through the stretch to win by a neck over an unlucky pacesetter in 14-1 Princesa Moche.
Hernandez had Warming in seventh at the end of the backstretch while racing three-wide. Very quickly, Warming was within three lengths of leader Princesa Moche.
“She broke a step slow and I didn’t want to go too wide,” Hernandez said. “I took her back to save some ground to the end.
“She showed a really good turn of foot from the three-eighths to the wire."
Warming was timed in 1:42.35. Princesa Moche, who was ridden by Joe Bravo, led by 1 1/2 lengths with a furlong remaining after setting a modest pace of 24.12 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.97 for a half-mile.
“She ran a winning race,” Bravo said. “She put her heart in it. She was relaxed and comfortable.”
Take A Breath, the winner of two Grade 3 turf stakes in the spring at Santa Anita, finished third at 5-1, followed by Sweet Rebecca, Vincey Girl, Whiskey Decision and Princess Attitude.
Warming, a 4-year-old filly by Global Campaign, won her third stakes in the last year in the Yellow Ribbon, her first start in a Grade 2 since a fifth-place finish in the Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga last summer.
Last fall, Warming won the Grade 3 Autumn Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile on turf at Santa Anita.
In May, Warming won the Grade 3 Gallorette Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf for fillies and mares at Laurel. She was third in the $275,000 Anchorage Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Churchill Downs on June 27 prior to the Yellow Ribbon.
Owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Maryland-based Graham Motion, Warming has won 5 of 13 and earned $473,050.
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