Blind Luck headlines Breeders' Cup Challenge Day

Champion BLIND LUCK (Pollard's Vision) will take the next step in her

journey to the Breeders' Cup when facing six rivals in Saturday's

$250,000

Lady's Secret S. (G1) on Santa Anita's opening weekend.

The 1 1/16-mile contest is one of four Grade 1 contests on Breeders'

Cup Challenge Day at the Arcadia, California, track, with the $250,000

Goodwood S. (G1), $250,000

Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) and $250,000

Norfolk S. (G1) the other co-features on the program.

Blind Luck will attract most of the attention Saturday, as the Jerry

Hollendorfer trainee goes for her fourth straight victory. The chestnut

lass opened her four-year-old season the same way she concluded her

sophomore campaign -- finishing second against graded rivals. Finally

breaking through with a win in the La Troienne S. (G2) in early May,

Blind Luck has been unstoppable since.

While Havre de Grace would go on to face the boys, and beat them, in

Saratoga's Woodward S. (G1), Blind Luck bypassed a scheduled stop in the

Personal Ensign S. (G1) at the Spa and enters the Lady's Secret off a 77-day

break. Garrett Gomez has been aboard for her past three wins and retains the

mount Saturday.

Looking to upset the Blind Luck apple cart are ZAZU (Tapit), ULTRA

BLEND (Richly Blended) and ASK THE MOON (Malibu Moon).

Three-year-old Zazu faced older rivals for the first time last out in

the Clement L. Hirsch S. (G1) and just failed to run down Ultra Blend,

with the final margin being a neck on the line. Prior to that, the gray

filly gained a measure of revenge for her third in the Kentucky Oaks

(G1) when defeating the winner of that race, Plum Pretty (Medaglia

d'Oro), in the Hollywood Oaks (G2).

Zazu will be getting six pounds from

Blind Luck and Ultra Blend instead of the two she received from the

latter in the Hirsch. Joel Rosario, aboard for the Hollywood Oaks, takes

back the ride from Gomez.

Ask the Moon was claimed out of a Belmont contest in mid-June and joined

trainer Marty Wolfson's barn one race later. The bay mare was thrown in the deep

end, as she was entered in the Ruffian Invitational H. (G1) at Saratoga, but

surprised with a romping wire-to-wire win. While some may have considered that

triumph a fluke, Ask the Moon proved it to be no such thing last out when once

again running away with a Grade 1, this time the Personal Ensign. The

six-year-old bay will be making her first foray outside of the Northeast region

in this one, but gets the expertise of local rider Martin Garcia.

One race following the Lady's Secret, ACCLAMATION (Unusual Heat)

will take on GAME ON DUDE (Awesome Again) in the Goodwood going 1 1/8

miles.

Many consider Acclamation to be a stellar turf horse, as he

successfully defended his title in both the Charles Whittingham Memorial

H. (G1) and Jim Murray H. (G2) this season while adding the Eddie Read

S. (G1) to his line. However, the Donald Warren trainee proved he could

take his winning attitude to the main track when gutting out a head

victory in the Pacific Classic (G1) last out. The bay five-year-old will

be trying a conventional dirt track for just the third time in the Goodwood and keeps Patrick Valenzuela in the irons.

Last seen finishing an uncharacteristic 10th and last in the Travers S. (G1),

Coil will face older rivals for the first time in the Goodwood. The chestnut

defeated Preakness S. (G1) winner Shackleford (Forestry) and Belmont S. (G1)

hero Ruler on Ice (Roman Ruler) when taking the Haskell Invitational (G1) prior

to the Mid-Summer Derby and will try to stamp his ticket to the Breeders' Cup

Classic (G1) with a victory here.

Saturday's card also features the Yellow Ribbon sending turf

distaffers 10 furlongs. Nine fillies and mares have signed up for the

event, including DUBAWI HEIGHTS (GB) (Dubawi). The Simon Callaghan

charge broke her maiden last November and proceeded to conquer an

allowance, the Wilshire H. (G3) and Gamely S. (G1) once returning to

competition in April. The four-year-old lass tried to lead all the way

home in the Beverly D. S. (G1) last out, but was just caught on the wire

to be second.