She’s Not Here Always There in Del Mar’s Yellow Ribbon

She’s Not Here after winning the 2015 edition of the Yellow Ribbon Handicap. The Victoria Oliver-trained colt made it two-for-two with another victory in this year’s renewal of the Yellow Ribbon at Del Mar.

As it turned out, G. Watts Humphrey and St. George Farm Racing’s She’s Not Here was completely there on Saturday and captured her second consecutive Yellow Ribbon Handicap (GI) at Del Mar. The 5-year-old daughter of Street Cry is trained by Humphrey’s daughter, Victoria Oliver, and was ridden to victory in the 1 1/16-mile firm turf test by Drayden Van Dyke.

She’s Not Here went winless in seven starts since capturing this event a year ago and, because of her recent record, went off at 9-1 (third longest shot on the board) and returned $20.40, $10.20 and $6.60. Runner-up Fresh Feline, the longest chance at more than 18-1, capped off the $161.90 exacta and was good for $19.40 and $6.60. Favored Nancy From Nairobi paid $3.20 at odds of 2-1. The $1 trifecta was worth $588.70.

Finest City, Queen of the Sand, Keri Belle, Prize Exhibit and Her Emmynency completed the order of finish after Majestic Heat was withdrawn.

The field rounds the turn in the 2016 Yellow Ribbon Handicap.

After a sharp break from the gate, She’s Not here was unhurried early and content to stalk just off the somewhat pedestrian early pace of :24.21, :48.74 and 1:12.32 set by Her Emmynency for the first three-quarters of a mile while racing first along the rail and then between rivals, as the field made their run up the backstretch.

As the frontrunners began to tire on the far turn, She’s Not Here was guided four-wide around the turn and into the top of the stretch, dug in down the lane under a vigorous ride from Van Dyke and was just up in time to claim the victory.

After logging a mile in 1:36.46, She’s Not Here stopped the Teletimer in 1:42.70.

“I watched the race [from Indiana Downs],” Oliver said, “and I thought Drayden had her in a good position down the backstretch and when he asked her, she really responded. She runs well on that turf course. I don’t know exactly why — maybe she just likes it because it’s a little more firm than most.

“We’ll bring her back to Kentucky; there’s not another race for her out there. But we’re sending some other horses to run at the meeting.”

She’s Not Here, who is a daughter of the Aljabr mare Where’s Bailey, was bred in Kentucky by the partnership of Hermitage Farm LLC and Darley. Her dam is a half-sister to the Kris S. mare Vertigineax, who is best known as the dam of 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta. She’s Not Here earned $120,000 for the second Yellow Ribbon victory to bring her bankroll to $403,903. Her career line now stands at 22-6-1-3.

Margaret Ransom

California native and lifelong horsewoman Margaret Ransom is a graduate of the University of Arizona’s Race Track Industry Program. She got her start in racing working in the publicity departments at Calder Race Course and Hialeah Park, as well as in the racing office at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. She then spent six years in Lexington, KY, at BRISnet.com, where she helped create and develop the company’s popular newsletters: Handicapper’s Edge and Bloodstock Journal.

After returning to California, she served six years as the Southern California news correspondent for BloodHorse, assisted in the publicity department at Santa Anita Park and was a contributor to many other racing publications, including HorsePlayer Magazine and Trainer Magazine. She then spent seven years at HRTV and HRTV.com in various roles as researcher, programming assistant, producer and social media and marketing manager.

She has also walked hots and groomed runners, worked the elite sales in Kentucky for top-class consignors and volunteers for several racehorse retirement organizations, including CARMA.

In 2016, Margaret was the recipient of the prestigious Stanley Bergstein Writing Award, sponsored by Team Valor, and was an Eclipse Award honorable mention for her story, “The Shocking Untold Story of Maria Borell,” which appeared on USRacing.com. The article and subsequent stories helped save 43 abandoned and neglected Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and also helped create a new animal welfare law known as the “Borell Law.”

Margaret’s very first Breeders’ Cup was at Hollywood Park in 1984 and she has attended more than half of the Breeders’ Cups since. She counts Holy Bull and Arrogate as her favorite horses of all time. She lives in Pasadena with her longtime beau, Tony, two Australian Shepherds and one Golden Retriever.