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LADIES' CLASSIC DIARY JULY 30, 2010 The year is half over and the cream of the distaff set has risen to the surface, both in the sophomore ranks and the older division. Once again, ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) and RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia d'Oro) dominate much of the conversation, but the pair is forced to share the limelight, at least in this Diary, with some talented three-year-olds. This Diary will be a review of what the youngsters have done, with next week's focusing on the veterans. Sophomore recap: BLIND LUCK (Pollard's Vision) and DEVIL MAY CARE (Malibu Moon) have separated themselves from the sophomore field and the big question now is what will happen when the duo meet up in the August 21 Alabama S. (G1) at Saratoga. They actually faced one another in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), where Blind Luck ultimately lost in her bid for championship honors after a third-place run. The chestnut lass tracked the pace in good position on the backstretch, split horses nearing the turn and then angled toward the outside heading into the lane. She just didn't have it on that day, though, missing second by a head to Beautician (Dehere). Devil May Care never appeared comfortable traveling over the Pro-Ride, even drifting over into a rival in upper stretch. Jockey John Velazquez was forced to take her up sharply and the filly loped under the line in next to last. This year has provided a completely different story line. Blind Luck stayed in California to round out her juvenile campaign with a seven-length victory in the Hollywood Starlet (G1) and carried over her winning ways when posting a nose decision in the Las Virgenes S. (G1) in her sophomore bow. The Jerry Hollendorfer runner left herself too much to do in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) next out, losing touch with the field on the backstretch. She rallied around the turn, angled toward the rail, found her way blocked late and came off the inside to put in a powerful surge that just came up short in between horses. Following the Santa Anita Oaks, Hollendorfer shipped Blind Luck to Oaklawn Park, where she captured the Fantasy S. (G2) as a prep for the Kentucky Oaks (G1). The filly took up her customary rear-running position in that latter event, circled nearly the entire field rounding the turn and ran down a very game Evening Jewel (Northern Afleet) to get the nose-bobbing win. A small field of five lined up for the Hollywood Oaks (G2) and Blind Luck dropped well back to race in last on the backstretch. She put in her run on the outside, but Bejarano waited a bit late to ask for her best. Blind Luck was flying down the track but couldn't make up enough ground on Switch (Quiet American), who was already in full stride on the outside. A jockey change was in the works, and Joel Rosario showed up in the saddle for the Delaware Oaks (G2) last out. The chestnut filly just got up in another nail-biter on the wire to score by a nose. Blind Luck's heart-stopping finishes could prove her undoing against Devil May Care. The latter filly doesn't own the same winning skein that Blind Luck has put together, but she has conducted herself well in three victories this season as well as a run against the boys. Trainer Todd Pletcher only ran the bay miss twice in the spring, resulting in a fifth in her Silverbulletday S. (G3) seasonal bow and a win in the Bonnie Miss S. (G2) in late March. He began talking about the Kentucky Derby (G1) for the filly and officially announced the intention to enter her in that race only the Monday before the Oaks and Derby were run. Devil May Care finished 10th that day to beat half the field, including Grade 1 victor Sidney's Candy (Candy Ride [Arg]). The three-year-old lass was given a brief break then sent back against the fillies for her last two starts, both of which resulted in easy wins. The Mother Goose S. (G1) saw Devil May Care take up a stalking position on the outside in third before overtaking the pacesetters under her own power rounding the turn. Velazquez took a couple of glances back in the lane and, despite Devil May Care's tendency to wait on rivals, merely had to show her the whip for the lass to take the victory by 1 1/4 lengths. The Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) took even less effort from Devil May Care as she cruised to the front following a tracking run on the backstretch. She angled out rounding the turn and extended her margin to lope home under a hand ride from Velazquez. Devil May Care owns a slight advantage over Blind Luck in that she's actually gone the Alabama distance of 1 1/4 miles when running in the Derby. The nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks was the only time that Blind Luck had gone past 1 1/16 miles, and she'll have to sustain her closing run against a filly who can accelerate late. Evening Jewel is the only other sophomore filly who has come close to the same level as Blind Luck and Devil May Care, and she is remaining on the turf for the time being. That leaves divisional honors to be decided between the two who, following the Alabama, will probably race only twice more, if that, before the Breeders' Cup. Up-and-comer: While Blind Luck, Devil May Care and Evening Jewel are tops in the three-year-old ranks, there is still time for a late bloomer to make her case. ACTING HAPPY (Empire Maker) just began her racing career in January and has yet to run worse than third from five career starts. The Richard Dutrow charge made her stakes bow in the Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) at Pimlico, scoring by 1 1/2 lengths on the wire. The dark bay miss settled in second between horses and tracked the pacesetter all the way into the stretch at Old Hilltop. She continued her momentum rounding the turn while sandwiched between two rivals and grabbed command when the leader gave way. Challenged by Kentucky Oaks third Tidal Pool (Yankee Gentleman) on the outside, Acting Happy put that one away then held the late charge of No Such Word (Canadian Frontier), who would go on in her next two starts to take the Go for Wand S. and run a close fourth in the Delaware Oaks. Acting Happy faced Devil May Care in the CCA Oaks last out, stalking in second before appearing to tire in the stretch. She looked done in midstretch but dug back and re-rallied, just losing second to a closing Biofuel (Stormin Fever). The three-year-old lass has continued to improve and deserves another shot against Devil May Care in the Alabama.
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