Yellow Card comes in sharp against tough cast in Stormy Liberal
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Everything was set for Yellow Card to start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 1, everything but a position in the starting gate.
Yellow Card never made it off the also-eligible list.
Four weeks and two half-mile workouts later, Yellow Card starts in a competitive running of Sunday’s $100,000 Stormy Liberal Stakes at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar.
“I’m looking forward to getting him started on Sunday,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “He was on the outside looking in on Breeders’ Cup. He was very sharp [four] weeks ago. We’ll see how sharp he is Sunday.
“We’ll see if he’s on top of his game.”
Yellow Card, owned by Jim Daniell, has been second in two stakes, including his last start in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Sept. 27. A winner of 3 of 9 starts, Yellow Card is expected to race from slightly off the pace in the Stormy Liberal, which drew a field of 10 and is one of four stakes on the closing day of Del Mar’s autumn meeting.
To win, Yellow Card much catch speedy types like Big City Lights and Book Smart, and hold off fellow stalkers such as Nay V Belle, No Nay Hudson, Sorrento Sky, and Unconquerable Keen.
Nay V Belle closed well to finish third by 1 3/4 lengths after racing in traffic in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31. With a trouble-free trip, trainer Mark Glatt argues she could have been closer, though may not have beaten race winner Queen Maxima.
“I think she certainly would have finished better, especially when there is no margin for error in these five-furlong races,” he said. “Queen Maxima is kind of the queen. To say she would have beaten her, I can’t say. She may have been closer.”
Nay V Belle, the lone filly in the Stormy Liberal, starts from post 8, which should aid her closing style.
“It looks like there is plenty of pace to help set up for one that’s sitting off of it,” Glatt said. “She’ll need a good trip.”
The same can be said for Unconquerable Keen, who has won the last two runnings of the Stormy Liberal, and Sorrento Sky, who was second in the 2024 Stormy Liberal and third in the recent Eddie D. Both are trained by Phil D’Amato.
Sunday’s race is the first for Unconquerable Keen since a third in the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs in May.
“He’s definitely fresh,” D’Amato said. “I think he’s a horse that’s very tactical.”
Sorrento Sky is a runner bettors may overlook, D’Amato said.
“Don’t count out Sorrento Sky,” he said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he won. He’s very tactical.”
They all will be chasing Big City Lights, who was eighth in the BC Sprint on Nov. 1 and starts on turf for the first time Sunday. Big City Lights drew the rail and will be forward early to maintain position.
“We’ve always thought of trying him on the turf and here we are,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “I wish we had a better post.”
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