Trainer John Sadler can make a bit of Hollywood Park history Saturday by becoming the first trainer to win three consecutive editions of the $150,000 A Gleam Handicap (G2), and Florida-bred Emmy Darling appears to be sitting on a big race for him.
Emmy Darling, a 4-year-old daughter of Winding Oaks Farm stallion Graeme Hall, turned in a bullet workout at Hollywood on Wednesday, handily covering a half-mile in 46 4/5 seconds. The filly enters the race off a six-week freshening, and Sadler said he expects her to run well.
If she wins the seven-furlong A Gleam, she would join Florida-bred Dearest Trickski in 2008 and Evita Argentina last year as winners of the race from Sadler’s barn. Sadler would tie Clyde Turk, Bobby Frankel and Laz Barrera for the most victories in the A Gleam.
“I just happen to have had good horses the last few years. There’s no secret formula,” Sadler said of his recent success in the race. “Hopefully, it will be Emmy Darling’s turn. She’s doing good. She had a very good work. She’s in good shape and is ready to go.”
Emmy Darling, bred by Ocala’s Helen Marie Napolitano, was a $260,000 purchase as a 2-year-old at OBS in March 2008. She’s won four of her 18 starts and earned $233,039 for owners Ike and Dawn Thrash. The filly earned her biggest victory on Hollywood’s synthetic surface, capturing the $102,000 Landaluce Stakes by two lengths in June 2008.
Overall, Emmy Darling is 3-for-10 on artificial surfaces, including a 2 ½-length score in a $49,000 allowance at Santa Anita Park in February. The A Gleam will be her first start since a troubled fifth-place finish in the Winning Colors Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in May, when she was forced to steady early.
Emmy Darling will have Joel Rosario aboard when she breaks from the No. 3 post in a field of six fillies and mares.
“The race didn’t come up that bad,” Sadler said. “There are some nice fillies in there, but it’s not a monstrous group. She needs graded black type. With Free Flying Soul in there, she’s a stone-cold front-runner, so I’d imagine we’d be stalking. She had a rough trip last time, so we kind of want to get her a free-running trip.”
Free Flying Soul was the third-place finisher in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Santa Anita in November after setting the pace. She likely will vie for the lead after breaking from the No. 4 post under Mike Smith. Free Flying Soul has won six of her 15 starts for a field-leading $393,177.
The field also includes Florida-bred Moon de French, a 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon bred by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Rogers Jr. The Zayat Stables colorbearer wired a $42,756 allowance going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita in October to close out 2009. In her 2010 debut, she ran fourth behind Free Flying Soul in the $62,000 Desert Stormer Handicap at Hollywood Park last month.
Moon de French has won three of her six starts for $107,302. She drew the No. 2 post and will have Martin Garcia aboard for trainer Bob Baffert.
Rounding out the field are Will O Way, Made for Magic and Sweet August Moon.
Will O Way most recently was fourth in the Vanity Handicap (G1) at Hollywood last month, her seventh consecutive loss since winning the $100,000 California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields in January 2009.
Made for Magic won the Milady Handicap (G2) at Hollywood Park in May and most recently was fifth behind Rachel Alexandra in the Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2) at Churchill Downs on June 12.
Sweet August Moon won the Las Flores Handicap (G3) at Santa Anita in April 2009 but is 0-for-4 this year, including a fifth-place finish in the Desert Stormer.
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Photo by Benoit
