Super star Evening Jewel,
worse than second only once in 11 starts, heads a solid field of 10 3-year-old
fillies expected to go postward in Saturday's running of the Grade I, $300,000
Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.
Only two nose
defeats by Blind Luck separates Evening Jewel, trained by Jim Cassidy, from
five straight victories. Those losses came in Santa Anita's Grade I Las
Virgenes and the Grade I Kentucky Oaks, and even though nemesis Blind Luck will
be running in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga on Saturday, the daughter of
Northern Afleet will still be tested.
For instance,
Harmonious, on a three-win streak, Antares World and Weekend Magic, the 1-2-3
finishers in Hollywood Park's Grade I American Oaks, will offer plenty of
competition for the Cassidy trainee. Add to that, the multiple stakes winner
Crisp, who defeated Blind Luck in the Santa Anita Oaks; Group winners Berg Bahn
and Distinctive in from England and Ireland and Canadian shipper Perfect Shirl,
seeking her fourth straight victory.
It Tiz,
trained by Mark Glatt, and Warren's Jitterbug, trained by Jorge Gutierrez, have
no graded stakes wins, but It Tiz shows three fourth-place finishes in Grade I
events, including the 2009 Darley Debutante at Del Mar.
All will carry
122 pounds.
Cassidy's Evening Jewel blew
out 3 furlongs on the turf course around the dogs in a sizzling 36.40 this
morning, leading the trainer to say, "We tried to slow her down but it wasn't
happening. She's doing so well now, it's beginning to scare me a bit." Exercise
rider George Alvarez was in the saddle.
Myung Kwan
Cho's Weekend Magic chalked up a solid 37.40 for 3 furlongs.
Here's how
they'll line up from the rail, with riders: Berg Bahn, Alex Solis here from
Saratoga; Antares World, Frank Alvarado; Perfect Shirl, Chantal Sutherland in
from Woodbine; Evening Jewel, Victor Espinoza; Distinctive, Brice Blanc;
Harmonious, Mike Smith; It Tiz, David Flores; Weekend Magic, Alonso Quinonez;
Crisp, Rafael Bejarano, and Warren's Jitterbug, Patrick Valenzuela.