Blind Luck Faces Four in Hollywood Oaks

Photo: Eric Patterson/Eclipse Sportswire

Owned by trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, Peter Abruzzo, John Carver and Mark DeDomenico, the 3-year-old Pollard’s Vision filly and the Best Of Luck mare Lucky One will be trying to join a very exclusive club with a win in the Grade II.

If Blind Luck, who has won seven of 10 and earned $1,398,712, is successful on Sunday, she will become only the second filly to win both the Kentucky Oaks and Hollywood Oaks. Fran’s Valentine completed the double in 1985.

A winner of three of four races in 2010 – in addition to her nose decision over Evening Jewel in Kentucky, she also won the Las Virgenes at Santa Anita and the Fantasy at Oaklawn Park – Blind Luck will be making her second start at Hollywood Park.

In her final outing as a 2-year-old, Blind Luck turned in what most would consider her most impressive performance. She won the Hollywood Starlet, a Grade 1, by seven lengths last Dec. 22. Sharp Cat is the lone filly to win both the Starlet and Hollywood Oaks, completing the sweep with a three length Oaks victory in 1997.

Rafael Bejarano, who won the 2008 Oaks with Lethal Heat, will be in his usual spot aboard Blind Luck. She will carry top weight of 123 pounds in the race at 1 1/16 miles on Cushion Track.

Trainer John Sadler, who, like Hollendorfer, is seeking his first Hollywood Oaks win, will be represented by Switch.

A daughter of Quiet American out of the Nicholas mare Antoniette owned by C R K Stable, Switch is stretching out after finishing second behind Tanda in the Railbird on May 9. Her only victory in five starts was at 6 ½ furlongs in her career debut at Hollywood Park last Dec. 13.

In her two previous races around two turns, Switch finished fourth in the Bonnie Miss at Gulfstream Park on March 20, five weeks after she was third, a half-length behind Blind Luck in the Las Virgenes. Switch, who has earned $99,600, will be ridden by Joel Rosario.

Camille C, who won the Melair, a race restricted to California breds at the Oaks distance, will be looking for her fourth victory in 14 tries.

Owned by Carlos Polanco and trained by Marcelo Polanco, Camille C, a daughter of Roman Dancer and the Rahy mare Paris Operetta, has never won against open company. With earnings of $269,551, Camille C, who was purchased for $4,200 as a 2-year-old at Barretts, will be trying for her third win in her fifth race on the Hollywood Park main track.

Vision In Gold, a troubled fifth in the Railbird, is 1-for-1 routing, having defeated maidens at one mile on March 11 at Santa Anita. Trained by Ron Ellis for owners Mace and Samantha Siegel’s Jay Em Ess Stable, the Medaglia d’Oro filly and the Corporate Report mare Corporate Vision has one win in three races. She has earned $29,880. Tyler Baze, who won a year ago with Carlsbad, has the mount.

The last jockey to win consecutive Oaks is Laffit Pincay, Jr. He scored with Tango Dancer in 1982 and Heartlight No. One the following year.

Aside from Blind Luck, nobody in the field has won more than Antares World. The Decarchy filly out of the Spinning World mare Alashir’s World has captured five of nine.

Trained by Steve Specht for owner-breeders Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams, Antares World will be making only her second start in Southern California. She finished eighth of 10 in the Providencia, a Grade II, on the turf at Santa Anita on April 3. An earner of $170,718, including wins in the California Oaks and Golden Poppy at Golden Gate, she will be ridden for the first time by Victor Espinoza.

From the inside out, the field for the 65^th Hollywood Oaks: Switch, Joel Rosario rides, 113 pounds; Camille C, Joe Talamo, 119; Blind Luck, Rafael Bejarano, 123; Antares World, Victor Espinoza, 117 and Vision In Gold, Tyler Baze, 113.