Stardom Bound draws rail in Santa Anita Oaks; Ventura tackles Kilroe

Stardom Bound draws rail in Santa Anita Oaks; Ventura

tackles Kilroe

While the West Coast's top handicap males will do battle in the Santa Anita

H. (G1), Saturday's Big 'Cap undercard has a distinctly feminine feel. Champion

STARDOM BOUND (Tapit) towers over her nine rivals in the $300,000

Santa Anita

Oaks (G1), her stepping stone to the April 4 Santa Anita Derby (G1) versus

the boys. Among the older brigade, Juddmonte Farms' homebred star VENTURA

(Chester House) will tackle turf males in the $300,000

Frank

E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1), and distaffers will dash six furlongs on the Pro-Ride in the $100,000

Honest

Lady S.

The gray will seek to extend her winning streak to five in the 1 1/16-mile

event. A smashing heroine of the Del Mar Debutante (G1), Oak Leaf S. (G1) and

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) last year, Stardom Bound made her debut for

new owner IEAH Stables in the February 7 Las Virgenes S. (G1). After biding her

time off the pace, she had to maneuver to find room between rivals, but when she

saw daylight, the race was effectively over. Stardom Bound quickened immediately

to draw 1 1/4 lengths clear.

Regular rider Mike Smith will guide the well-named filly from the rail on

Saturday. If all goes according to plan, she will go on to the 1 1/8-mile Santa

Anita Derby,  where she would meet top colts Pioneerof the Nile (Empire

Maker) and The Pamplemousse (Kafwain), en route to the May 2 Kentucky Derby

(G1).

Revealingly, only one of her Las Virgenes victims has dared to reoppose her

-- the Craig Dollase-trained NAN (High Yield), who was fourth to Stardom Bound

last time out. Two starts back, she finished third to the now-sidelined Alpha

Kitten (Tale of the Cat) in the Santa Ynez S. (G2). The form of that race was

flattered when Santa Ynez runner-up Evita Argentina (Candy Ride [Arg]) came back

to beat males in the San Vicente S. (G2).

WILL O WAY (Broken Vow), third to Stardom Bound in the Del Mar Debutante last

summer, has enjoyed much better success at Golden Gate Fields. The Vladimir

Cerin pupil concluded her two-year-old season with a 5 1/2-length score in the

Corte Madera S., and in her latest venture, she was a dead-game winner of the

California Oaks. Between those efforts in Northern California, the bay checked

in third in the Santa Ysabel S. (G3).

Other notable entrants include the undefeated BELTENE (Unusual Heat), who got

up in time to deny HOOH WHY (Cloud Hopping) in the six-furlong Sunshine Millions

Oaks; MISS SILVER BROOK (Cozzene), fourth in her stakes debut in the grassy La

Habra S. (G3); and well-bred maiden winner ACRONYM (Empire Maker) from the

Frankel barn.

Interestingly, Hooh Why was a close runner-up to Louisiana Derby (G2) hopeful

Patena (Seeking the Gold) in Woodbine's Display S. in December.

In the Kilroe Mile, Ventura will break from the rail beneath a returning

Garrett Gomez. The dark bay mare has been dominating on synthetic in her past

two, having captured the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint and the Santa Monica

H. (G1). In mid-2008, however, she excelled on the turf for Frankel. Ventura was

an impressive winner of the Just a Game S. (G1), and when facing males in the

Woodbine Mile (Can-G1), she was a gallant second on unsuitably yielding ground.

The five-year-old figures to relish the better going at Santa Anita.

Her 11 rivals include fellow Frankel trainee MAST TRACK (Mizzen Mast), the

victor of the Hollywood Gold Cup (G1) who was last seen finishing fifth in the

Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile on Pro-Ride; multiple Grade 1 hero ARTISTE ROYAL (Ire) (Danehill),

who cuts back sharply in trip after getting up in the nick of time in the 1

1/4-mile San Marcos S. (G2); Virginia Derby (G2) winner GIO PONTI (Tale of the

Cat), who reverts to turf after crossing the wire fifth in the Strub S. (G2);

Grade 1 winner DIXIE CHATTER (Dixie Union), fourth in the Strub and Hollywood

Derby (G1); Argentinean Group 2 scorer GLOBAL HUNTER (Arg) (Jade Hunter),

runner-up in the off-the-turf Thunder Road H. (G3) most recently; Grade 3

veteran WISE RIVER (Belong to Me), who ships in off a third-place effort in the

Col. E.R. Bradley H. (G3) at Fair Grounds; and last year's Strub conqueror

MONTEREY JAZZ (Thunderello), who is still searching for his best form.

The Honest Lady has drawn a competitive field of nine fillies and mares.

Among the top contenders in the sprint are the once-beaten STARRY PURSUIT (Van

Nistelrooy), who has not raced since taking the Flawlessly S. on July 4;

multiple stakes heroine FOXY DANSEUR (Mr. Greeley); and COCO BELLE (Storm Boot)

from the John Sadler barn.