DEL MAR, Calif. (Sept. 6, 2023) – The last time California-bred Closing Remarks ran, winning the Aug. 12 Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar, it may have added to the cachet of her sire, Vronsky , enough for a yearling by the stallion to top the Northern California yearling sale at $100,000 a few days later. A similar situation could set up if she annexes the Sept. 9 John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T), two and a half weeks before three more Vronsky yearlings are set to sell at the Fasig-Tipton California sale.
Of course, Closing Remarks has to win first, and though she has captured several attractive stakes, she has never put back-to-back victories together at any time during her career. But this could be her moment.
The 1 1/8-mile Mabee only drew six runners, and most have not been competing in graded company in their most recent starts.
Closing Remarks, a 5-year-old homebred for John Harris’ Harris Farms trained by Carla Gaines and out of the Unusual Heat mare Orange Cove, has five wins in 21 starts and earnings of $711,320.
She hasn’t been away from graded competition since January 2022. In the nine graded stakes since that time, she has two wins, including the April 1 Royal Heroine Stakes (G2T), one second, three thirds, two fourths, and a sixth, amid several rough trips.
Umberto Rispoli rode Closing Remarks in the Yellow Ribbon for the first time in almost two years, and Gaines has named him for the Mabee from post 4. Rispoli is hoping to return to riding at Del Mar after a spill forced him to miss the previous weekend.
Gaines praised Rispoli’s ride after the Yellow Ribbon, saying, “If there is any space, he’s going to get through, and that’s what he did. In grass racing you always want to save ground, and he’s a master at it.”
Turnerloose is the only other one from the Yellow Ribbon field returning for the Mabee. She finished fifth after running rankly and racing three wide. It was Turnerloose’s first start for trainer Phil D’Amato. Previously, Brad Cox conditioned the 4-year-old multiple stakes-winning daughter of Nyquist .
D’Amato also trains Oakhurst and has had the 4-year-old daughter of Mr Speaker since late last year. When racing in the East, Oakhurst won the 2022 Wild Applause Stakes at Belmont Park. She most recently captured an allowance/optional claimer at Del Mar July 23. Juan Hernandez will ride from post 3.
Neige Blanche and Paris Peacock come out of the CTT and TOC Stakes Aug. 18, where they finished third and fourth.
Leonard Powell trains 6-year-old Neige Blanche, who two races back captured the Possibly Perfect Stakes at Santa Anita June 18. The Possibly Perfect was the mare’s first start in eight months, making the Mabee the third start after a layoff, often popular with bettors. Diego Herrera has been riding Neige Blanche since her comeback, and he returns from post 5.
Tom Proctor trains Paris Peacock and has named Drayden Van Dyke from the rail. Paris Peacock has raced in this country since last fall without winning, but she has finished second twice, including in the May 7 Monroe Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Free and Humble took five starts to break her maiden, which occurred June 2 at Santa Anita. Trained by Peter Miller, the 3-year-old daughter of Free Drop Billy then ran third in a July 22 allowance/optional claimer and won an Aug. 12 allowance/optional claimer. Hernandez has been riding Free and Humble, but Hector Berrios will take over from post 2.