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Oaks News
By: John Malone ARCADIA, Calif. (March 12, 2006) - Balance showed the racing world that she is the top filly on the West coast with a convincing victory over a solid cast of 3-year-old fillies Sunday in the $300,000 Gr. I Santa Anita Oaks at Santa Anita. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Balance broke nicely from the gate and was content to take back off the early pace set by Wild Fit's rabbit stablemate Cheerily. While Cheerily set a brisk early agenda, Espinoza and Balance found themselves hung four wide down the backstretch, with Wild Fit settling towards the rear. Cheerily came under pressure from fellow longshot Quiet Kim heading in to the far turn through a brisk half mile in 47.08, as Hollywood Starlet winner Diplomat Lady began to range up on the outside for the stretch run. Diplomat Lady and Quiet Kim would assume brief command at the top of the stretch, as Cheerily began to back pedal quickly. Still wide on the course, Balance advanced up on the turn for home, and when the real running began, the daughter of Thunder Gulch proved her superiority by inhaling the frontrunners was relative ease in upper stretch, impressively opening up on her opposition. Wild Fit, the slight 6-5 favorite in the wagering over Balance, put in a wide rally, but it was clear midstretch that the runner-up in last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies would only be running for a minor award, as Balance drew clear to post an impressive 2 1/2-length victory. "She was excellent today," said Espinoza. "I knew I was wide down the backside, but she was doing it so comfortably. She's such an awesome filly, it really doesn't make a difference." "She's so much more professional now," he added. "She's finishing up like a champion in her races." Quiet Kim held on gamely on the rail to be solid second, three lengths clear of Wild Fit, who turned in a disappointing third-place run in her second start of the year for trainer Patrick Biancone. Gr. I winner Diplomat Lady finished fourth in the field of nine. The win was Balance's fourth from six career tries for owner Amerman Racing Stables LLC, and the $180,000 winner's share raised her career earnings to $513,300. "She's the best filly I've had," said a happy David Hofmans, the trainer of Balance. "I'm telling you, I'm very impressed with her." Balance returned $5.20 to win after covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.99, and her connections will now look for a final start before running as one of the probable favorites in the Gr. I Kentucky Oaks on May 5th. "We were just so delighted with the race," said Balance's owner John Amerman, "She sure showed she can run and come home. I tried not to get to excited coming down the stretch but she hit the wire I threw man hands up with joy." When asked about the plans for the Kentucky Oaks Amerman declined to answer sighting superstitions and just politely said, "Thanks for the interview I appreciate it." The highly anticipated second chapter of the rivalry between Wild Fit and Balance that started when the pair of fillies finished one-two in last month's Gr. I Las Virgenes failed to produce a thrilling stretch run when Wild Fit lacked her usual late rally and finished a distant third. "My filly ran good," said Biancone. "She was beaten by a better filly today. There's not much excuse."
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