5/1/10
Last updated: 4/30/10 8:34 PM
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Blind Luck (outside) just nipped Evening Jewel on the Oaks wire
(Harold Roth/Horsephotos.com) |
In a finish reminiscent of the Las Virgenes S. (G1), Mark Dedomenico LLC,
John Carver and Peter Abruzzo’s BLIND LUCK (Pollard’s Vision) rallied down the
center of the track and just caught Evening Jewel (Northern Afleet) by a nose on
the wire of Friday’s
Kentucky
Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs. The pair, who first met up in that February 13
test at Santa Anita, had to go an extra eighth of a mile in this affair but the
margin of victory didn’t change as Blind Luck wore down her rival once again to
capture her fourth Grade 1 score.
Tidal Pool (Yankee Gentleman) and jockey Calvin Borel went to the front and
slowed the pace down through splits of :23 4/5, :48 and 1:12 2/5 while closely
tracked by Ailalea (Pulpit) to the outside. Meanwhile, jockey Rafael Bejarano
allowed Blind Luck to settle in her normal rear-running position before urging
her on as the field neared the turn. Keeping as close to the inside as she
could, Blind Luck circled her 13 rivals and entered the stretch chasing Evening
Jewel as that one overtook Tidal Pool.
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In front of a record Kentucky Oaks crowd of 116,046, Blind Luck dug in and gradually closed
ground on Evening Jewel, just getting her nose in front on the line. Trained by
co-owner Jerry Hollendorfer, the chestnut lass finished up the 1 1/8-mile test
in 1:50 3/5 to move her record to 10-7-1-2 and increase her earnings to
$1,398,712.
“I knew she was going to kick in for me and show me that run, she always
does,” Bejarano said. “She tries so hard. The stretch here is very long but she
kept trying hard until the end and never stopped trying. She’s amazing.”
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Blind Luck narrowly nosed out a game Evening Jewel
(EquiSport Photos) |
“It was tense enough for a few minutes waiting, but I thought we got
it on the head-bob and we were right,” Hollendorfer said. “A great ride
by Rafael got her there. When I bought her, I paid way more than the
$40,000 claiming price, so we always anticipated she would be a stakes
horse. She’s delivered.”
Blind Luck paid $4.60, $3.60 and $2.80 as the 6-5 favorite and keyed the
$58.40 exacta and $389.80 trifecta. Evening Jewel, who captured the Ashland S.
(G1) by a diminishing neck prior to this one, was worth $9.40 and $7.20 as the
13-1 sixth pick. Pacesetter and 9-1 fourth choice Tidal Pool held to be a game
third in the Oaks, returning $5, and was followed by Beautician (Dehere), who
completed the $4,100.40 superfecta (5-11-8-6) at 19-1.
“That stings,” said Kent Desormeaux, who was aboard Evening Jewel.
“This race has eluded me; I really wanted to win it. And I knew turning
for home I was a winner. And I got beat. Really stings.”
“Oh, man, that was hard,” trainer Jim Cassidy agreed. “We had the
same result in the Las Virgenes at Santa Anita and I though we had won
that one, too. Everyone around us today thought she had won; we did,
too. I knew we did.
“She’s a game, game filly. When she saw that other one (Blind Luck)
she dug in and came back at her again. Toughest beat of my career – no
question. I’ve been beaten some dirty noses in Grade 1s at other tracks,
but given the context here — Kentucky Oaks, all that money, huge crowd,
this was the toughest one of all.”
Ailalea, Amen Hallelujah (Montbrook), Crisp (El Corredor), Quiet Temper (Quiet American), It’s Tea Time (Dynaformer), Joanie’s Catch (First Tour), Champagne d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro), Age of Humor (Distorted Humor),
Jody Slew (Slew City Slew) and Bella Diamante (Lost Soldier) rounded out the
order under the wire.
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Blind Luck began her career with conditioner James Hatchett in Florida,
breaking her maiden by a huge 13 1/4 length margin while going just 4 1/2
furlongs in a maiden claimer 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) at Del Mar, rallying to just miss by a length, then captured the
Oak Leaf S. (G1) on October 4 when sent to Santa Anita.
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There was little room to spare between Blind Luck and Evening Jewel
(Lauren J. Pomeroy/Horsephotos.com) |
Blind Luck just missed by three parts of a length when third in the Breeders’
Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), but that narrow loss ultimately ended up costing her
Eclipse Award honors two-year-old filly champion as she finished second in the
voting to Juvenile Fillies winner She Be Wild (Offlee Wild). The filly wrapped
up her juvenile campaign with a seven-length trouncing in the Hollywood Starlet
S. (G1) and opened 2010 with that nose win over Evening Jewel in the Las
Virgenes. Blind Luck then suffered just her third loss when missing in the Santa
Anita Oaks (G1) by two necks to Crisp, but she quickly returned to the winner’s
circle next out when shipping to Oaklawn Park in the Fantasy S. (G2), posting a
2 1/2-length score.
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 juvenile colt by Orientate and 2010 filly by
Successful Appeal.
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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).
