Four fillies and mares will join “A” listers Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver in Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park.
Monomoy Girl, last year's champion older female on dirt will start on the outside post in the field of six with Robby Albarado in the irons. Swiss Skydiver - last year's champion 3-year-old filly - drew post No. 2 and will be ridden by Florent Geroux.
Among those set to take on that pair are multiple graded-stakes winner Letruska, Getridofwhatailesu, Another Broad and Chance to Shine. Letruska and Getridofwhatailesu
finished second and third, respectively, to Shedaresthedevil in last month's Azeri Stakes
(G2) at Oaklawn. Now 6, Another Broad most recently was last in the Feb. 28 Bayakoa
Stakes (G3), which Monomoy Girl used for her triumphant 6-year-old debut.
Chance to Shine most recently finished fourth in the Bayakoa (G3) at Oaklawn on Feb. 28.
With just a six pack entered, the Apple Blossom figures to boil down to a marquee matchup of Eclipse Award winners. The last time Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver met in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, Monomoy Girl won while Swiss Skydiver finished a troubled seventh after a slow break.
2021 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1)
| Rank | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Another Broad Include | S. Asmussen R. Santana, Jr. |
| Entered | ||||
| Swiss Skydiver Daredevil | K. McPeek R. Albarado |
| Entered | ||||
| Letruska Super Saver | F. Gutierrez I. Ortiz, Jr. |
| Entered | ||||
| Chance To Shine Morning Line | C. Hartman K. Tohill |
| Entered | ||||
| Getridofwhatailesu Ghostzapper | B. Cox F. Arrieta |
| Entered | ||||
| Monomoy Girl Tapizar | B. Cox F. Geroux |
| Entered |
Saturday’s card also includes the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2), which saw eight older horses entered for the 1 1/8-mile race. Express Train ships in for trainer John Shirreffs and was assigned the high weight of 122 pounds, one fewer than he carried finishing second last month in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1).
A Grade 2 winner this year, 5-year-old
gelding Fearless (119 pounds) was also entered, as was multiple Grade 3-winning
5-year-old Owendale (119), two-time
stakes-winning 4-year-old Silver State (118), 8-year-old millionaire gelding
Rated R Superstar (116), two-time graded-stakes-winning 4-year-old Silver
Prospector (116) and 7-year-old graded-stakes-winning gelding Guest Suite
(115).
After a 50 percent chance of
showers Friday, the National Weather Service forecast for Hot Springs, Ark., is for a dry, cloudy
Saturday with the high 63 degrees.
