Warming © Benoit Photo
Eastern-based trainer H. Graham Motion shipped in to Del Mar Saturday and won another stakes race when his 4-year-old filly Warming got the job done in the Yellow Ribbon Stakes on the local lawn. It was the 13th time the conditioner had sent out a charge from across the country and came away a winner.
Warming, who was handled by Juan Hernandez, picked up a winner’s share of $120,000 in the Grade II from the gross purse of $201,000. She now has total earnings of $473,050. It was Hernandez’s fifth stakes tally of the session.
The daughter of Global Campaign went off as the 9/5 favorite and returned $5.60 to her backer after running the mile and a sixteenth in 1:42.35.
Finishing second in the 74th edition of the Yellow Ribbon was Rancho San Roberto’s Princess Moche, who was a neck better than Chivalry Thoroughbred Racing and partners’ Take A Breath.
Earlier on the card, trainer Bob Baffert cut loose one of his stellar juveniles when the Into Mischief colt Hughes won for fun against four rivals in the 56th edition of the Best Pal Stakes.
The winner, a $675,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland who races for an extensive partnership headed by Front Row Club, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, finished up seven and three-quarters lengths the best in the six furlong spin that was timed out in 1:09.61. It was the most impressive performance by a juvenile at the Del Mar meeting so far.
Leading rider Hernandez was aboard the racy bay as they broke well, then led at every pole.
Finishing second in the Grade III affair was Reddam Racing’s Phone Booth, who had a head on the show horse, David and Holly Wilson’s Kennten.
Hughes, who is now two-for-two in his early career, picked up a prize of $90,000 for his sharp effort in the $150,000 feature. He returned $5 as the 3/2 favorite in the sprint.
In post-race comments, Baffert, who was at Saratoga in upstate New York eyeing the highly respected Saratoga Sale this Monday and Tuesday, indicated that the next stop for Hughes would be the Del Mar Futurity, the Grade I championship race at seven furlongs on closing weekend of the shore track’s session. Baffert has already won that race 19 times.
Racing resumes at the seaside oval Sunday with first post at 2 p.m.
JUAN HERNANDEZ (Warming, winner) – “I rode this filly in a stakes at Santa Anita and we won there (Gr III Autumn Miss), so I knew what to expect today. She broke a step slow, so I saved all the ground I could. They were going slow up front, but that was OK for me. The stable told me she was doing good and to ride her with confidence. She has a really good turn of foot and she showed it today.”
ALICE CLAPHAM, asst to Graham Motion (Warming, winner) – “She was nice and settled and was all class. When he asked her go and she changed leads she just took off. I think the big thing is if you can get one to relax so nicely like that and it helps that she’s run a couple of times out here.”
FRACTIONS: :24.12 :48.97 1:13.55 1:36.69 1:42.35
The stakes win was the second in the Yellow Ribbon (Heredia, 2025) and his fifth stakes score of the meet. The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Motion and his second in the Yellow Ribbon (Heredia, 2025).
Rider Hernandez now has 70 stakes wins at Del Mar.
Trainer Motion has 13 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner is Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners headed by Aron Wellman of Rancho Santa Fe, CA.