Eleven aspiring fillies, headlined by two stakes-winning daughters
of dual classic winner Thunder Gulch, will square off in Sunday’s $250,000
Hollywood Starlet S. (G1). PRIVATE WORLD (Thunder Gulch) boasts a perfect
three-for-three record, including two stakes. In her most recent outing, the Bob
Hess Jr. pupil posted a desperately brave front-running victory by a nose in the
Moccasin S. and, prior to that race, she scored in the Anoakia S. Kent
Desormeaux will ride as she attempts the 1 1/16-mile distance for the first
time.
BALANCE (Thunder Gulch) has finished first in all three of her starts, but
she was disqualified from her victory in the grassy Hidden Light S. and demoted
to third. She made an impressive dirt debut in the Sharp Cat S. last time,
forcing a quick pace, assuming command early and powering clear to prove her
ability at 1 1/16 miles. Conditioner David Hofmans holds a very high opinion of
her, and bullish statements from a horseman as understated as Hofmans are
significant. Victor Espinoza has the call.
Other prime contenders are TRUE XENA (Yes It’s True), exiting a narrow loss
to Private World in the Moccasin; tearaway Churchill Downs maiden winner
SABATINI (Five Star Day); and two-time winners FALL IN LOVE (In Excess [Ire])
and DIPLOMAT LADY (Forestry).
In post position order, the full field is Fall in Love, Tony Farina;
Diplomat Lady, Tyler Baze; MEETMEINTHEWOODS (General Meeting), Corey Nakatani;
Balance; POLITICAL WEB (Petionville), David Flores; Private World; Sabatini,
Garrett Gomez; LOOSENDS (Broken Vow), Pat Valenzuela; True Xena, Jon Court;
INCUMBENT (Carson City), Javier Santiago; and KARLEE’S KITTEN (Pioneering),
Martin Pedroza.
Each of the fillies will carry 120 pounds.