FAVORED RUBY NELL RALLIES WIDE TO TAKE $100,000 UNZIP ME STAKES BY ONE LENGTH AS SHE GETS ABOUT 6 ½ FURLONGS DOWN HILLSIDE TURF IN 1:11.35

ARCADIA, CA (Oct. 1, 2023)—Unhurried early, Richard Mandella’s Ruby Nell rallied four-wide turning for home and overhauled Bob Baffert’s Fast and Shiny inside the sixteenth pole to register a one length win in Sunday’s $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at about 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course. Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Ruby Nell, a $1.2 million 2-year-old in training sale purchase in March of last year, got the trip over a firm turf in 1:11.35.

Fourth after showing the way early in the Grade I Del Mar Oaks at a mile and one eighth on turf Aug. 19, Ruby Nell was off as the 8-5 favorite in a field of 10 today and paid $5.20, $3.20 and $2.60.

Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Ruby Nell is by Bolt d’Oro out of the Not For Love mare Rich Love. In her second stakes assignment, she picked up $60,000, increasing her earnings to $198,520 from an overall mark of 7-3-2-1.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Fast and Shiny, off at 5-1, grabbed the lead turning for home and finished 3 ¼ lengths in front of longshot Free and Humble, returning $6.60 and $4.20.

Ridden by Antonio Fresu, Free and Humble was mid-pack while into the bridle passing the half mile pole and finished well to be third by 1 ¼ lengths over Make It Snow.

Fractions on the Unzip Me were 21.61, 43.04 and 1:05.55.