Keeneland Select Pick of the Day | August 8, 2020

Race 9 at Del Mar | Saturday, August 8 | Post Time 9 PM Eastern / 6 PM Pacific

Yellow Ribbon Handicap – Grade 2 | Purse $150,000 | One Mile and One Sixteenth on Turf | Fillies and Mares, Three Year Olds and Upward

In my opinion, Bodhicitta (2) is as likely to win as Jolie Olimpica (8) and Beau Recall (7) but whereas those two open at odds of 5 to 2 and 3 to 1, respectively, Bodhicitta opens at 6 to 1 and has to get top billing. This filly really came into her own this past winter when winning on February 1 at a mile on turf at Santa Anita with a 103 Equibase Figure effort then came right back five weeks later on March 8 to win again with a 105 figure. In both races she put in very strong rallies in the last quarter mile, the first time from fourth and three and one-half lengths back to win by two lengths, and the second time from fifth, three and one-half lengths back, to win by a length and one-half. She was flattered out of the second win by Dogtag, who came back to win a stakes race. Then after two and one-half months off, Bodhicitta stepped way up in class into the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes and finished fast from eighth to second at 14 to 1. In the Gamely, Bodhicitta earned a 110 figure which is nearly on par with the best figures Jolie Olimpica has earned. Leading jockey Flavien Prat was up for her last three starts and rides back and particularly considering she is taking the same one level drop from grade 1 to grade 2 as Beau Recall and Jolie Olimpica, Bodhicitta has the same probability to win, not two to three times less as evidenced by her starting odds.

Jolie Olimpica (8) shipped to Kentucky for the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley last month and ran into a machine in Rushing Fall so her runner-up effort was no disgrace. Just the same, in both her two-turn turf stakes tries in the U.S. she has led late and finished second. Her figures stand out here as she has earned 111, 116, 114 and 116 figures in those four U.S. races but still she’s no lock.

Beau Recall (7) won the 2019 Yellow Ribbon as the 2 to 1 second choice, entering the race off a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes in New York. She finished second in the Just a Game Stakes this year as well so she’s on the same pattern and has every right to win, but it must be noted when she won last year she earned a 101 Equibase Figure, not nearly as good as the 110 figure Bodhicitta earned in her most recent race. On the other hand, Beau Recall earned a 114 figure last spring when winning the Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs on Derby Day before the Just a Game and she is making just her third start of 202 following eight months off so we could certainly see her improve.

Keeper Ofthe Stars (6) is another horse we must use on some tickets, particularly trifecta tickets. She won the Gamely in May and although she was a non-threatening fifth in the easier Wilshire Stakes in June she has bounced back from poor efforts to win graded stakes previously.

Betting Strategies:

Win::

Bet Bodhicitta (2) to win at odds of 2 to 1 or more.

Exactas:

Box Bodhicitta (2), Jolie Olimpica (8) and Beau Recall (7).

Box Bodhicitta (2), Jolie Olimpica (8), Beau Recall (7) and Keeper of the Stars (6)

Trifectas:

Bodhicitta (2) over Jolie Olimpica (8), Beau Recall (7) and Keeper of the Stars (6) over ALL

Bodhicitta (2) over ALL over Jolie Olimpica (8), Beau Recall (7) and Keeper of the Stars (6) ALL

Jolie Olimpica (8), Beau Recall (7) and Keeper of the Stars (6) over Bodhicitta (2) over ALL