Blind Luck shoots home in Starlet

Last updated: 12/20/09 9:44 PM

Blind Luck helped draw the curtain on Hollywood’s
autumn meet
(Benoit Photos)

Mark DeDomenico LLC, John Carver and Jerry Hollendorfer’s BLIND LUCK (Pollard’s Vision) launched an explosive move rounding the turn of
Sunday’s $405,250
Hollywood Starlet (G1), opening up on the field through the
lane while running on her left lead, then switched to her right lead and pulled away by seven lengths on the wire.
Jockey Rafael Bejarano’s only job was to stay aboard the chestnut miss as she
completed 1 1/16 miles on the Cushion Track in 1:41 4/5.

“Wow!” Bejarano exclaimed. “I worked her the last four times and
she’s been unbelievable in the morning. She’s been relaxing so well in
her works and has been showing a big turn of foot. She did the same
thing today. I think she’s going to be a real good filly. I had so much
horse I wanted to wait as long as I could. When I asked her a little she
showed me a big turn of foot.”

Rose Catherine (Speightstown) led the way through the early part of the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on November 6 and was determined to set the
pace once again in the Starlet. The dark bay filly held a length advantage over Amen Hallelujah (Montbrook)
through splits of :23 1/5, :46 2/5 and 1:10 4/5, while Blind Luck was content to
run near the rear while saving ground on the inside.

As the field approached the second turn, Blind Luck was momentarily forced to
wait as she encountered a wall of horses, but Bejarano merely angled his mount
to the outside and the filly took off. Opening up on the field
by midstretch, the juvenile lass easily scored her second Grade 1 victory following a 2
1/2-length win in Oak Leaf S. (G1) during the Oak Tree at Santa Anita meet.

“That was exciting,” Hollendorfer said in an understatement. “I’ve never seen
her move like that. We were hoping to run in all the Grade 1’s and I think this
stamps her up pretty good as one of the contenders.

“It’s a big advantage that Rafael (Bejarano) likes to come and work our
horses. He’s worked this filly every time. Now he knows her very well. The more
a rider knows a horse the more they are in sync. If she looks like she’s doing
well between races we might wait for the (February 6) Las Virgenes (G1). Our
long range goal is the Kentucky Oaks (G1).”

Sent off the 9-5 second choice, Blind Luck paid $5.60, $3.20 and $2.60 to her
supporters while keying the $36.30 exacta ($1), $210.10 trifecta ($1) and
$764.50 superfecta ($1) (3-1-4-2). Miss Heather Lee (Trippi), the 19-1 longest
shot in the seven-filly field, was never far back of the initial pace while in
third and held best of the early runners to return $11.20 and $6.40. It was
another three parts of a length back to Amen Hallelujah, who was worth $5.40 at
9-1. It Tiz (Tiznow), Bickersons (Silver Deputy) and Rose Catherine followed the
top three under the wire while Beautician (Dehere), the 8-5 favorite, was eased in the stretch
to finish last.

“She wasn’t very happy today,” said jockey Garrett Gomez of Beautician, whom
he was riding for the first time. “I didn’t know her very well, but she was just
weak turning for home. At the three-eighths she weakened on me very bad. I moved
on her a couple of times but she just staggered. I just took care of her after
that.”

Blind Luck emphatically avenged her loss in the Breeders’ Cup
(Benoit Photos)

Blind Luck began her career in maiden claiming company, capturing her debut
by 13 1/4 lengths for a $40,000 tag at Calder. Sold soon after to her
current connections and shipped to California, the chestnut would go on under
Hollendorfer’s tutelage to add a starter allowance at Del Mar to her line. She
made her stakes bow in the Darley Debutante (G1), rallying to just miss by a
length, then captured the Oak Leaf on October 4.

Blind Luck was given a shot at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), but
was forced to steady in the first turn of that 1 1/16-mile event. She put in
another game rally down the stretch to draw within a half-length of pacesetter
Always a Princess (Leroidesanimaux [Brz]), but was passed late by winner She Be
Wild (Offlee Wild) and Beautician, who just had a head in front to take second.
Blind Luck decisively avenged that loss in this one, and boosted her earnings to
$709,050 to go along with a 6-4-1-1 career mark.

Bred by Fairlawn Farm in Kentucky, Blind Luck passed through the sales
ring twice, bringing $11,000 as a Fasig-Tipton July yearling and RNAing for
$10,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training in April. The
chestnut lass is the first registered foal out of the winning Lucky One (Best of
Luck), who has since produced an unnamed Orientate yearling colt.

Lucky One is a half-sister to 2002 Swale S. (G3) hero Ethan Man (Glitterman),
while her dam, Twilight Spectre (Imp Society), is herself a half-sibling to
multiple Grade 2 victor Chas Conerly (Big Burn) and multiple Grade 3-placed
Gainzer (Turkoman). Also of note in the family is Burn’s Return (Big Burn),
queen of the 1979 Monmouth Oaks (G1).