American Oaks heads star-studded card Sunday

The $750,000 American Invitational Oaks (G1) at Hollywood Park is but one of

a quintet of graded events set to showcase some of the best runners in the world

on Sunday. Set at 1 1/4 miles on the turf, only those invited will get to test

their merits in the event and a field of 13 has taken up the challenge.

MELHOR AINDA (Pulpit) tops the U.S. contingent in the American Oaks, entering

off an easy win in the Sands Point S. (G3) at Belmont Park. That victory moved

her lifetime mark to a perfect four and she'll have jockey John Velazquez back

in the saddle to try for five in a row.

Two foreign-bred horses turned U.S. runners will also give their new country

a shot at victory. THREE DEGREES (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]) waited until her first

U.S. start to break her maiden, doing so at Santa Anita, and most recently

captured the Honeymoon Breeders' Cup H. (G2) over the course at Hollywood. Jerry

Bailey is set to ride the gray miss. LOUVAIN (Ire) (Sinndar) was twice placed in

French listed events, but earned her first stakes score when taking the first

division of the Miesque S. (G3) last season. She finished sixth in the Honeymoon

while making her sophomore debut last out and could move forward here under

Tyler Baze.

Of the international runners, SILVER CUP (Ire) (Almutawakel [GB]) owns only

one loss from six career starts. Among those wins are scores in an Italian Group

2 and two other listed tests. HALLOWED DREAM (Ire) (Alhaarth) will be making her

U.S. bow off a close second in the Italian Oaks (Ity-G1) on June 18. Patrick

Valenzuela will be aboard the bay filly, who will be going for her first career

win in the American Oaks. Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) third-place

finisher LUAS LINE (Ire) (Danehill) broke her maiden last August and has been

trying for her first black-type victory ever since. Japanese Oaks (Jpn-G1) queen

CESARIO (Jpn) (Special Week) is also considered a top candidate.

MEMORETTE (Memo [Chi]) and jockey Kent Desormeaux will lead the post parade

to the gate. They'll be followed by Hallowed Dream; THATSWHATIMEAN (Belong to

Me), David Flores; ISLA COZZENE (Cozzene), Corey Nakatani; Melhor Ainda; Luas

Line, Rene Douglas; Silver Cup, Gary Stevens; SILK AND SCARLET (GB) (Sadler's Wells),

Victor Espinoza; SWEET FIREBIRD (Sadler's Wells), Alex Solis; Louvain; Three

Degrees; SINGHALESE (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]), Garrett Gomez; and Cesario, Yuichi

Fukunaga.

All starters will carry 121 pounds.

Also set for Sunday is the $350,000 Triple Bend H. (G1), which drew a full

field of 14. Los Angeles Times H. (G3) hero FOREST GROVE (Forestry) has been

assigned the highweight of 118 pounds in the seven-furlong event under Jon Court

and will be going for his fourth black-type score.

Two of his main rivals are HARVARD AVENUE (You and I) and SAINT AFLEET

(Northern Afleet). The former added his name to the mix when taking the Potrero

Grande Breeders' Cup H. (G2) while Saint Afleet, fifth in that event, scored a

win in the Palos Verdes H. (G2) earlier this year.

The complete field for the Triple Bend, with riders and weights, is ROI

CHARMANT (Evansville Slew), Espinoza, 115; SAINT BUDDY (Saint Ballado), Douglas,

114; Forest Grove; TASTE OF PARADISE (Conquistador Cielo), Solis, 116; Harvard

Avenue, Gomez, 117; TSIGANE (Fr) (Anabaa), Flores; 115; Saint Afleet,

Valenzuela, 116; MASS MEDIA (Touch Gold), Velazquez, 116; AREYOUTALKINTOME (Smokester),

Baze, 117; BEAR IN THE WOODS (Formal Gold), Alex Bisono, 112; ST AVERIL (Saint

Ballado), Desormeaux, 114; MCCANN'S MOJAVE (Memo [Chi]), Jose Valdivia Jr., 117;

ENDER'S SHADOW (A.P. Indy), Stevens, 116; and UNFURL THE FLAG (Bertrando),

Nakatani, 115.

Grade 1 winners SPLENDID BLENDED (Unbridled's Song) and HOLLYWOOD STORY (Wild

Rush) are part of a field of nine in the $300,000 Vanity H. (G1), but it is

ANDUJAR (Quiet American) who will have to tote the topweight of 121 pounds. The

bay four-year-old captured the Milady Breeders' Cup H. (G2) by an easy seven

lengths last out and previously posted a 10 1/2-length victory in an allowance

over the track. She'll stretch out here for the first time on the dirt to nine

furlongs, but has found nothing to stop her since switching to the main track

two back.

Bailey will be aboard Splendid Blended, who has been assigned 113 pounds, and next will come HEALTHY

ADDICTION (Boston Harbor), Court, 112; SANTA CANDIDA (Arg) (Espaciado), Omar

Berrio, 112; Hollywood Story, Espinoza, 120; I CAN YODELE (Swiss Yodeler), Baze,

110; ISLAND FASHION (Petionville), Valenzuela, 115; CASTY (Mex) (Valiant

Nature), Flores, 115; Andujar, Nakatani; TUCKED AWAY (Unusual Heat), Solis, 112.

WHILLY (Ire) (Sri Pekan) and KING OF HAPPINESS (Spinning World) head a field

of nine in the $250,000 American H. (G2) going 1 1/8 miles on the green. Hero of

the San Marcos S. (G2), Whilly finished second in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1)

and enters here off a fifth in the Shoemaker Breeders' Cup Mile S. (G1). King of

Happiness managed a second in that event and looks to add the American H. to his

other stakes win in the Inglewood H. (G3).

Whilly will break from the rail under a 117 impost that includes Felipe

Martinez. To his outside will be King of Happiness, Valenzuela, 120; HE'S CRAFTY

(Crafty Prospector), Douglas, 113; SIGINT (Wekiva Springs), Gomez, 112; FOURTY

NINERS SON (Distorted Humor), Bailey, 115; FAST AND FURIOUS (Fr) (Singspiel

[Ire]), Espinoza, 119; LAURA'S LUCKY BOY (Theatrical [Ire]), Nakatani, 116;

CAPITANO (Belong to Me), Court, 115; and QSAR (Ger) (Tiger Hill), 112.

A stellar bunch of nine distaff milers will go in the grassy $200,000 Royal

Heroine S. (G3) to end the stakes action at Hollywood on Sunday. Included in the

field are Gamely Breeders' Cup H. (G1) victress MEA DOMINA (Dance Brightly);

last year's American Oaks queen, TICKER TAPE (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]); Grade 1

heroine INTERCONTINENTAL (GB) (Danehill); and two-time Grade 3 winner PICKLE

(GB) (Piccolo).

With jockeys and imposts, the Royal Heroine field is FENCELINENEIGHBOR (Wild

Rush), Luis Jauregui, 123; Mea Domina, Baze, 123; NAVAJA (NZ) (Daggers Drawn),

Gomez, 117; VALENTINE DANCER (In Excess [Ire]), Court, 123; Ticker Tape,

Desormeaux, 121; Intercontinental, Bailey, 123; IRGUNETTE (Aus) (Irgun), Flores,

115; Pickle, Espinoza, 123; and SECRET CHARM (Ire) (Green Desert), Velazquez,

115.