Always a Princess beats Blind Luck at Santa Anita
January 16, 2011ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) - Blind Luck, almost certain to win an Eclipse Award this week as champion 3-year filly of 2010, finished second behind Always a Princess on Sunday in the $150,000 El Encino Stakes at Santa Anita.
The overwhelming favorite in a field of five 4-year-old fillies, Blind Luck was last early and staged a late rally to claim second, but she didn't come close to catching trainer Bob Baffert's Always a Princess.
Blind Luck, considered a cinch to win an Eclipse across town in Beverly Hills on Monday night, hadn't raced since running second to Unrivaled Belle in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5.
She appeared perfectly poised for victory with the small field and a quick pace that could have tired out the leader, but finished 3 1/2 lengths back - farther off the lead than in any of her 15 previous races - and ran second for the third straight time.
``If she got beat, it's because of my training,'' trainer and co-owner Jerry Hollendorfer said.
Blind Luck has won nine times in her 16 career starts, including five Grade 1 stakes victories.
Always a Princess, ridden by Rafael Bejarano, won for the fourth time in eight starts, running 1 1-16 miles in 1:41.47 and paying $9.80, $3.40 and $2.80. The winner earned $90,000 to increase her total to $426,048.
Blind Luck returned $2.40 and $2.10, and Fashion Trend paid $3.40 to show.
On Saturday, Baffert's Indian Firewater won the equivalent race for males, the $150,000 San Fernando Stakes.