Blind Luck Primed for Las Virgenes Stakes - 02-05-10

February 5 - Racehorse trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has reason to be confident ahead of Saturday's $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (Gr 1) at Santa Anita Park in California, because his charge, 2009 Eclipse Award nominee Blind Luck, will be making her three-year-old debut in the six-horse race.

Although Blind Luck lost to She Be Wild in the Two-Year-Old Filly category of the 2009 Eclipse Awards, just the fact that she was nominated bears testimony to her excellent form last year. And this year her connections are expecting her to perform even better, starting with tomorrow's outing.

Given that her regular jockey Rafael Bejarano aboard and her recent record, Blind Luck will likely start the Las Virgenes Stakes as the favorite. In the Hollywood Starlet Stakes (Gr 1) in December last year, Bejarano rode the filly to perfection, romping home first a convincing seven lengths clear.

'She can relax behind horses,' said Bejarano about her run in the Hollywood Starlet Stakes. 'That is why she exploded so strongly in the stretch. The good thing is she's not nervous in the post parade.' As such he is very confident that Blind Luck can continue to rate highly in her division in 2010.

The fact that that Blind Luck likes Santa Anita's synthetic track will not be lost on betting fans tomorrow. Last fall at the popular Californian horseracing venue she won the Oak Leaf Stakes (Gr 1) and then went on to notch up a respectable third place in the coveted Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

So far in her career, Blind Luck has won 4 from 6 starts and earned just over $700,000 in purses. Like her jockey, her trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is also full of confidence ahead of tomorrow's race. 'I think there is some speed in there to set it up, and Rafael [Bejarano] knows the filly well.'

Santa Anita horseracing fans have an action-packed 10-race program to look forward to tomorrow, including four other stakes races - the $200,000 Strub Stakes (Gr 2), the $150,000 Robert Lewis Stakes (Gr 2), the $65,000 Leroidesanimaux Stakes and the $60,000 Wishing Well Handicap.

Here is the final field for the $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (Gr 1) at Santa Anita Park tomorrow:

1. Summer Games (KY)
2. Blind Luck (KY)
3. La Nez (CA)
4. Switch (KY)
5. Evening Jewel (CA)
6. Crisp (KY)