Balance returns in La Brea

Balance has been sidelined for more than seven months (Alex Evers/Horsephotos.com)

BALANCE (Thunder Gulch) dominated the three-year-old filly ranks at Santa
Anita early this year, winning the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and Las Virgenes S. (G1),
but she went off course after leaving California and wound up heading to the
sidelines following an unplaced effort in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Unraced for
239 days, the classy bay lass will return to the races in Saturday’s $250,000 La
Brea S. (G1), taking on 10 sophomore filly rivals in the seven-furlong contest
at Santa Anita. Victor Espinoza will retain the mount aboard the David Hofmans-trained
Balance.

DIPLOMAT LADY (Forestry) is the only other Grade 1 winner in the field,
having taken the 2005 Hollywood Starlet S. (G1), and the dark bay turned in one of
her best efforts this season when capturing the about seven-furlong Beaumont S.
(G2) at Keeneland. Runner-up in the grassy Harold C. Ramser Sr. H. last out,
Diplomat Lady will make her first start for conditioner Eric Guillot on
Saturday. David Flores rides. East Coast invader WIN MCCOOL (Giant’s Causeway),
winner of the Floral Park H. (G3) and second in both the Nassau County Breeders’
Cup S. (G2) and First Flight H. (G2), will have the services of the hot-riding
Garrett Gomez.

FOXYSOX (GB) (Foxhound) will cut back in distance off a game win in the 1
1/16-mile Bayakoa H. (G2) at Hollywood Park. That score came over the Cushion
Track, and the four-time stakes queen will be making her first start on dirt in
the La Brea. Doug O’Neill will send out the stakes-winning VAGUE (Elusive
Quality), and SQUALLACIOUS (Summer Squall) will return to action for Mike Puype. The lightly
raced Squallacious recorded a pair of sharp wins before finishing second in the
Hollywood Breeders’ Cup Oaks (G2) last out in mid-June.