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Balance keeps her poise in Santa Margarita

Balance proved her class in Saturday's Santa Margarita (Benoit Photo) Amerman Racing Stables' BALANCE (Thunder Gulch) was trapped behind rivals on the rail turning for home, and after swinging out wide for room, the 120-pound highweight looked to be up against it with just a furlong to go in Saturday's $300,000 Santa Margarita Invitational H. (G1). Ermine (Exchange Rate) had taken advantage of Balance's bad luck to sprint to a sizeable lead in midstretch and appeared determined to spring the upset on the 4-5 favorite. Balance would have none of it, however. The David Hofmans-trained bay dug in, put her head down, and kicked into overdrive in the final sixteenth to collar Ermine in the shadow of the wire. The four-year-old finished 1 1/8 miles on Santa Anita's fast track in 1:49 1/5 beneath Victor Espinoza. "I knew everybody would be looking for me, so we just had to be patient," Espinoza said. "I was in pretty tight going into the first turn, and then down the backside I was just trying to maintain my position and be patient. Halfway around the (far) turn, I was going to follow (Witch Woman) and she stopped, and then (Ermine) kept pushing everybody in. Every time I tried to go somewhere, somebody covered me up. "At the top of the stretch, I was able to swing out and I had a ton of horse," he continued. "I had no doubt then that I was going to catch (Ermine), but I was a little concerned in the middle of the turn." Ermine lost a heartbreaker in defeat, rallying from off the pace and helping to keep Balance bottled up on the turn, but she could not withstand the winner's assertive rush and succumbed by a half-length. The chestnut drew 5 1/4 lengths clear of River Savage (Brz) (First American), who had raced prominently throughout and made a threatening move into the stretch. She failed to sustain her bid but held on for third, three lengths ahead of Vanguarda (Arg) (Sekari [GB]). Next came Ready to Please (More Than Ready), Les Ry Leigh (Broken Vow) and the early leader Witch Woman (Awesome Again), who faded after clocking fractions of :23 3/5, :47 and 1:11.

Balance rewarded her supporters with payouts of $3.60, $2.10 and $2.10 while spearheading $1 exotics worth $3.60 (exacta) and $16.60 (trifecta). Ermine gave back $2.60 and $2.40 as the 9-5 second choice, and River Savage provided $4.20 to show at odds of 12-1.

With this fifth stakes victory on her resume, Balance boasts a mark of 11-6-1-3 with $900,159 to her credit. Four of those scores have come over the Arcadia, California, oval, with her previous tallies being the 2006 Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and Las Virgenes S. (G1) as well as the La Canada S. (G2) last time out. As a juvenile, Balance captured the Sharp Cat S. at Hollywood Park and finished third in the Hollywood Starlet S. (G1). Her other stakes placings include a pair of thirds in the Ashland S. (G1) and La Brea S. (G1). The lone blemish on her record is her 11th-place effort in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), but she exited that race with a bone chip in her ankle and had to undergo surgery. Balance has proven this winter that she's returned better than ever.

Bred in Kentucky by Maverick Production Ltd., the winner was purchased by her current connections for $260,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Her dam, the winning Kris S. mare Vertigineux, has also produced stakes victress Where's Bailey (Aljabr) and an unnamed yearling filly by Pulpit. This is the family of Sweetest Thing (Candy Stripes), Canada's champion turf mare in 2001.

Hofmans, who had saddled Desert Code (E Dubai) to take the Baldwin S. (G3) earlier on the card, outlined his strategy for the rest of the year.

"She's not going to ship," the horseman said when asked if Balance would aim for the April 7 Apple Blossom H. (G1) at Oaklawn Park and a possible rematch with Ermine. "There's almost zero chance she would run in the Apple Blossom. We've got the Vanity (Invitational H. [G1] on July 7) at Hollywood. We'll see.

"We're trying to plan so that we get to the Breeders' Cup (Distaff [G1] at Monmouth Park on October 27) without too many races. That's what I want to do."

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