Stardom Bound, Dream Empress face off in El Encino

Dream Empress’ last win came in the 2008 Alcibiades (Ed Van Meter/Horsephotos.com)

Champion STARDOM BOUND (Tapit) and Grade 1 winner DREAM EMPRESS (Bernstein)
will face off in Sunday’s $150,000
El
Encino S. (G2) at Santa Anita for the first time since running third and
seventh, respectively, in the Ashland S. (G1) last spring. A field of 13 newly
turned four-year-old fillies has been assembled for the 1 1/16-mile event.

Stardom Bound and Dream Empress first met when running one-two in the 2008
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). Stardom Bound would go on to add scores in
the Las Virgenes S. (G1) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1) to her record as a
three-year-old, but Dream Empress never seemed able to get back on track
following the Breeders’ Cup. She concluded her juvenile season with a distant
fourth to Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) in the Golden Rod S. (G2), and could
do no better than seventh in both the Herecomesthebride S. (G3) and Ashland as a
three-year-old.

Given almost the rest of the year off, Dream Empress returned after nearly nine
months on December 28 to finish third in an allowance/optional claiming test
going the El Encino distance. However, the Kenny McPeek charge will have to put
forth another good effort in this, her four-year-old bow, if she is to remain in
training.

Stardom Bound finished off-the-board for the first time in the Gazelle (Benoit Photos)

“Dream Empress had a race over the track and that was off a layoff of eight
months,” Blair continued. “She really wasn’t into the race very much until the
end. Garrett (Gomez) got into her, and it was nice, but it wasn’t great, but
we’re going to put a set of blinkers on for the El Encino to try and keep her
more involved in the race.”

Dream Empress will get a jockey switch from Gomez to Tyler Baze in the El
Encino.

McPeek will have a one-two punch in the race, as BEST LASS (Werblin) will
also load into the starting gate. The chestnut miss has scored two of her four
lifetime wins on the turf, with one of the other two coming over the Tapeta at
Presque Isle Downs. She rounded out her three-year-old campaign in the Falls
City H. (G2) at Churchill Downs, where she broke in the air and led for the
opening half before fading to fourth on the wire.

Justwhistledixie will try the synthetics for the first time in the El Encino (EquiSport Photos)

Stardom Bound is also looking to rebound in the El Encino. The Richard Dutrow trainee skipped the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and was given the summer off
following a third in the Ashland. She offered no challenge when making her
return in the November 28 Gazelle S. (G1) at Aqueduct, but was also making her
dirt debut in that nine-furlong event. Four-for-four at Santa Anita, the gray
lass will keep regular rider Mike Smith aboard as she attempts to keep her
Pro-Ride record perfect.

Another El Encino contender, JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE (Dixie Union), spent much of 2009 on the sidelines, and her connections are hoping she returns to the
form that saw her win the Davona Dale S. (G2) and Bonnie Miss S. (G2) last
spring. The dark bay four-year-old has never run on a synthetic track before,
but worked five furlongs on the Pro-Ride Sunday in 1:01 4/5 for Bill Mott.