Fiji’s Performance Should Place Her on Top of Mountain

Even if Fiji misses the $700,000 Matriarch on Nov. 29 at Hollywood Park, which is a possibility, the Eclipse award as the nation’s top female turf performer should belong to her.

Making her first start since an Aug. 1 defeat in the Ramona Handicap at Del Mar, the 4-year-old Rainbow Quest filly sealed her claim to the title with a two-length victory in the $500,000 Yellow Ribbon Stakes on Sunday at Santa Anita.

Owned by Prince Fahd Salman and trained by Neil Drysdale, Fiji won for the sixth time in seven 1998 starts, completing the 1 1/4 miles on the turf course labeled good in 2:05 1/5, the slowest clocking in the 22-year history of the Grade I race.

Ridden by Kent Desormeaux, she had to survive a foul claim by jockey Corey Nakatani, who rode See You Soon. That wasn’t allowed, but See You Soon, who finished second, was disqualified for alleged interference against Pomona and placed fourth.

Sonja’s Faith, a 25-1 shot who set the pace, was moved up to second and Pomona, a 27-1 shot who finished fourth was placed third.

The stewards’ decision certainly didn’t sit well with Bobby Frankel, See You Soon’s trainer.

“When is somebody going to do something about them [the stewards],” Frankel said. “I think they’re incompetent. I don’t think there should have been a change, but they rewarded [Sonja’s Faith] and she came out.

“I said one day they were going to cost somebody in a Grade I race. [Pomona] tried to go somewhere she didn’t belong.”

Reserved off the pace early, Fiji, the 4-5 favorite, moved up to join the leaders around the turn, then took charge in midstretch to win for the fifth time in six starts on the Santa Anita turf course.

“She ran her race and won again,” Desormeaux said.

“She is just phenomenal and that’s why we call her Miss America at the barn because that’s exactly what she is.”

Drysdale said Fiji, who will continue racing in 1999, may come back in the Matriarch.

“She just keeps on improving,” he said. “I thought the rain would help the course, might tighten it a little bit.”

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Going into the final day of the Oak Tree meeting, jockey Alex Solis has clinched his second title with 28 victories.

Bob Baffert clinched his second consecutive training title at the meeting and with 19 victories, has tied a record he shares with Mike Mitchell for most wins at an Oak Tree season.

He has four chances to break it today as he’ll send out Troysend in the fifth, Del Mar Gray in the seventh and National Saint and Forestry in the ninth.