Yahilwa Seeks Third Straight on Short Rest

DP Racing LLC’s Yahilwa (Medaglia d’Oro) returns off just two weeks’ rest as she seeks her third-straight victory in today’s GII Bayakoa S. at Los Alamitos Race Course. A neck second in May’s GIII Adoration S. at Santa Anita, the James Cassidy trainee was fourth behind Beholder (Henny Hughes), Tiz Midnight (Midnight Lute) and Iotapa (Afleet Alex) in that venue’s GI Zenyatta S. three back Sept. 27. She resurfaced in an Arcadia optional claimer over a mile Oct. 29, dueling with and drawing away from GISP Taste Like Candy (Candy Ride {Arg}). Joining the same connections’ GIII Delta Downs Jackpot hero and “TDN Rising Star” Ocho Ocho Ocho (Street Sense) in Louisiana, Yahilwa justified 11-10 favoritism to earn her first stakes victory in the one-mile Treasure Chest S. Nov. 22. Owner Deron Pearson and Cassidy will also be represented by Oscar Party (Dixie Union), who finished runner-up in last year’s GII Indiana Oaks. The bay’s last victory came four back in an eight-panel Del Mar optional claimer July 25, and she most recently finished fourth in that venue’s grassy Kathryn Crosby S. Nov. 7. Pegram, Watson and Weitman’s aforementioned Tiz Midnight, a daughter of the same group’s MGISW Tough Tiz’s Sis (Tiznow), capped a three-race winning skein of her own going a flat mile at Del Mar Sept. 1. A close second after setting the pace in the Zenyatta, the Bob Baffert pupil settled for sixth after showing the way early in the GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff Oct. 31. Also returning from the Distaff is Teneri Farm’s Valiant Emilia (Per) (Pegasus Wind). A winner of the G3 Clasico Cesar Del Rio Suito for Juan Suarez in her native country in June, the bay faded to eighth after showing early interest in her first run for Gary Mandella. She has had three works since the Breeders’ Cup, including an upbeat :59 2/5 (3/54) spin at Santa Anita Nov. 30, and may give a better account of herself in this softer spot.