American Oaks Super Saturday

Hollywood Park will host four stakes events on Saturday, headed by the Grade 1, $350,000 American Oaks sending eight sophomore fillies 1 1/4 miles on the turf. The race features the return, and grass debut, of Ashland victress Emollient following her subpar sixth-place effort in the Black-Eyed Susan.

Also taking place will be the Grade 2, $200,000 A Gleam Handicap, which attracted a field of eight fillies and mares. The seven-furlong affair is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race, enabling the BC-nominated winner of the race to earn a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on November 1 at Santa Anita.

Rounding out the stakes action on the card will be a pair of six-furlong contests for juveniles. The $150,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship, which was downgraded for this year from its Grade 3 status, has drawn a field of seven colts, while its sister race, the $150,000 Landaluce, has the same number of fillies entered.

The wagering menu on Oaks day includes a $150,000 Guaranteed Pick Six and a $250,000 Guaranteed Late Pick 4.

Past American Oaks Winners

More American Oaks and Hollywood Park racing news

By The Handicappers Edge
July 12, 2013

Hollywood Park will host four stakes events on Saturday, headed by the Grade 1, $350,000 American Oaks sending eight sophomore fillies 1 1/4 miles on the turf. The race features the return, and grass debut, of Ashland victress Emollient following her subpar sixth-place effort in the Black-Eyed Susan.

Also taking place will be the Grade 2, $200,000 A Gleam Handicap, which attracted a field of eight fillies and mares. The seven-furlong affair is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” race, enabling the BC-nominated winner of the race to earn a fees-paid berth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on November 1 at Santa Anita.

Rounding out the stakes action on the card will be a pair of six-furlong contests for juveniles. The $150,000 Hollywood Juvenile Championship, which was downgraded for this year from its Grade 3 status, has drawn a field of seven colts, while its sister race, the $150,000 Landaluce, has the same number of fillies entered.

A poster commemorating Hollywood Park’s 75th anniversary will be given away, one per paid admission while supplies last, on Saturday.

The American Oaks is the feature event on the day, and will see Emollient try her luck on the green. She captured the Ashland over Keeneland’s synthetic Polytrack by nine lengths but was unable to duplicate that effort when a well-beaten sixth next out in the Black-Eyed Susan at Pimlico. Based on her pedigree, which includes numerous European champions and Group 1 winners, the Bill Mott pupil could find a new home on the turf. Jockey Mike Smith was aboard for her past two starts and retains the mount Saturday.

Emollient will take on the top four from the June 8 Honeymoon Handicap in Sarach, Scarlet Strike, Macha and Becky Lou, respectively.

Sarach managed to pull out a wire job in that nine-furlong grass event by a length over Scarlet Strike, who entered off a win in the Providencia and a head second in the Senorita. Macha was making her graded bow in the race and reputed herself well while beaten just 1 1/2 lengths for it all.

Becky Lou rallied to be two lengths behind Sarach on the wire in just her second U.S. start. The Johannesburg miss captured her stateside bow over Santa Anita’s green in April and was stretching out past a mile for the first time. Wittgenstein, third by a head in the grassy Blue Norther on New Year’s Day, finished next-to-last in the Honeymoon, but was only beaten 3 3/4 lengths by Sarach on the line.

Emotional Kitten took another route to get to the American Oaks. The Wesley Ward-trained daughter of Kitten’s Joy has traveled all around the country, stopping at seven different tracks already in her 10-race career, and enters Saturday off a pair of wins at Keeneland and Pimlico. She actually captured the Hilltop at that latter track, and gets a jockey switch to Victor Espinoza.

Topic completes the American Oaks field, and the Neil Drysdale filly will have to jump up in a big way to get the win off her maiden victory last out.

One race before the American Oaks, the A Gleam will see the return of Reneesgotzip. The City Zip four-year-old has won half of her races, and was last seen just missing by a neck in the La Brea on December 26. Trainer Peter Miller withdrew the chestnut filly from last Saturday’s Princess Rooney at Calder in favor of this one, and she’ll be looking to keep her mark over Hollywood’s Cushion Track perfect with Garrett Gomez returning to the saddle.

Out to derail that unbeaten line will be Byrama, Teddy’s Promise and Book Review. The former is going best of all, having taken the Vanity Handicap by 3 1/2 lengths on June 15. Gary Stevens was aboard that day and keeps the mount. Teddy’s Promise was a 4 1/4-length defending champion of the Time to Leave two back, and just missed by three parts of a length when third in the Desert Stormer Handicap last month.

Book Review got the win in the La Brea over Reneesgotzip, but has suffered defeat in her two races since then. The Giant’s Causeway miss was second in the La Canada and then filled that same spot when beaten only a half-length in the Santa Maria last out on February 16. Rafael Bejarano has the call.

Rounding out the A Gleam field are Grade 3 victress Rumor; Conkate and Winding Way, the respective fourth- and fifth-place finishers in the Desert Stormer; and Maker or Breaker, who was fourth in the Marjorie L. Everett and Santa Lucia in her past two.

The stakes action at Hollywood will get underway Saturday in the Landaluce, which will see Pleasant Miss go for her second attempt at black-type glory after finishing second in the Cinderella on June 15.

Willie B Awesome and Solid Wager, the respective runner-up and third-placer from the June 15 Willard L. Proctor Memorial, will also be seeking first-time stakes victory in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship.

Bet the American Oaks and Hollywood Park online at TwinSpires.com.