Golden Apples’ Victory Makes Her One to Fear

When they ran the $500,000 Yellow Ribbon at Santa Anita on Saturday, owner Gary Tanaka was closely watching his filly, Golden Apples, but he had an eye for Banks Hill as well. No matter how good your own horse, it’s difficult to ignore last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner.

“When I saw those Juddmonte silks [the colors of Banks Hill’s owner], I thought, ‘Is this going to be Del Mar all over again?’ ” Tanaka said after the race.

Golden Apples, who was second, a neck behind Affluent, in the John Mabee Ramona Handicap at Del Mar in July, won the Yellow Ribbon by a length over Voodoo Dancer as favored Banks Hill, caught behind horses in the stretch, finished third, beaten by four lengths. With wins in the Yellow Ribbon and the Beverly D. at Arlington Park, Golden Apples will be favored in the Filly and Mare Turf when Arlington plays host to the Breeders’ Cup races on Oct. 26.

“Now if she only lives up to that role,” said Ben Cecil, who has trained Golden Apples since Tanaka bought the Irish-bred filly in the summer of 2001. “And even if she gets soft ground in Chicago, I don’t think that should be a problem.”

Golden Apples, ridden by Pat Valenzuela, paid $4.80 as the second choice, running 1 1/4 miles in 1:59 3/5.

The Yellow Ribbon was one of seven Breeders’ Cup preps this weekend at Santa Anita. Three more are scheduled today. In other races Saturday, Kalookan Queen, a 6-year-old mare, beat males in the $207,875 Ancient Title Handicap but will probably stay home while her stablemate, Kona Gold, tries to win the Breeders’ Cup Sprint for the second time; Kafwain and Bull Market gave trainer Bob Baffert a 1-2 finish in the $200,000 Norfolk; and trainer Nick Canani, winning the race that his father, Julio, had won in 1999 and 2001, saddled 9-1 shot Night Patrol for a narrow win over Kachamandi in the $234,000 Oak Tree Mile.

Other horses used Kentucky and New York as their sendoffs for the Breeders’ Cup. At Keeneland, Xtra Heat, runner-up to Squirtle Squirt in last year’s Sprint, beat males for the first time as she won the $250,000 Phoenix Stakes by three lengths; and undefeated Sky Mesa, the expected Breeders’ Cup Juvenile favorite, won the Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity by four lengths over Lone Star Sky.

At Belmont Park, Toccet, a 9-1 shot who had won two races in Maryland by almost 20 lengths, closed on the rail to beat Icecoldbeeratreds, the Del Mar Futurity winner, by 1 1/2 lengths in the $500,000 Champagne. Undefeated Storm Flag Flying became a heavy favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with a two-length win over Santa Catarina in the $500,000 Frizette. In the $750,000 Beldame, Imperial Gesture led all the way for a 2 3/4-length win, and Green Fee, at 9-1, beat Forbidden Apple by a half-length in the Kelso Handicap.