Yahilwa flashes new style to win Sixty Sails

STICKNEY, Ill. – Yahilwa began her winning journey Saturday at Hawthorne in the Grade 3, $150,000 Sixty Sails Handicap by attempting a face plant into the loam.

Taken out of her usual front-running style, she proceeded to rally steadily and score a comfortable 2 1/2-length victory over the odds-on favorite Awesome Flower.

“She was very sharp today,” said winning trainer Jim Cassidy.

Yahilwa has been on a remarkable streak of drawing the rail for her races: She broke from the fence Saturday for the third straight race and fourth time in five starts. In the last three such races, Yahilwa either made the lead or attempted to, but on Saturday, jockey Elvis Trujillo had little choice but to try to come from behind.

Yahilwa wasn’t happy about it at first, racing rank past the stands for the first time, but she settled into a decent rhythm while Parc Monceau, with whom Yahilwa was expected to tussle for the early pace, set dawdling splits of 24.70 and 49.11 seconds. Speed and the rail, though, were not working here Saturday, and Parc Monceau had no response when challenged coming into the long homestretch.

Yahilwa, however, coming between horses, was full of run, taking the lead before the stretch call and going on to a definitive triumph. Awesome Flower, one-paced, edged her 15-1 stable-mate Ketel Twist by just a nose for second. The winner, who paid $6.40, was timed in 1:51.13 for nine furlongs on a fast track.

A 5-year-old mare by Medaglia d’Oro, Yahilwa won for the sixth time in 26 starts.