Nereid, Cambina draw in Hollywood's American Oaks

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) - Trainer John Shirreffs' Nereid and Jeff Bonde's Cambina finished in a dead-heat tie for victory in the Grade 1, $250,000 American Oaks on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Joe Talamo and making her stakes debut, Nereid went straight to the lead in the turf marathon for 3-year-old fillies and held on into the stretch, but Cambina and jockey Martin Garcia caught her at the wire and forced the draw in a wild ending with less than a length separating the first five finishers.

``She can do anything,'' Talamo said of Nereid. ``She didn't even start running today until she got to the sixteenth pole. When she felt them coming, she really kicked on. She's got a very, very bright future.''

It was the first dead heat in a Hollywood Park stakes since 2002, and the first in a Grade 1 at the track since 1990.

Star Billing was a head back in third, long shot Entrustment was another head back in fourth and Bizzy Caroline was a half-length behind her in fifth after stalking Nereid in second for most of the race.

Nereid covered 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.46 and paid $5.40, $5 and $3.20. Cambina, who took her third stakes but earned her first Grade 1 win with the dead-heat finish, paid $4.60, $3.80 and $2.80. Star Billing paid $3.40 to show.

Later in the $200,000 A Gleam Handicap, Garcia led trainer Bob Baffert's mare Irish Gypsy to a gate-to-wire win in another tight finish, holding on to win by a slight nose as favorite Ultra Blend rallied from ninth and last but came up just short.

With the win, Irish Gypsy, owned by frequent Baffert partner Mike Pegram, earned a spot in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Churchill Downs.

She covered seven furlongs on the main track in 1:22.44 and paid $12, $5.60 and $3.60. Ultra Blend paid $4.80 and $2.80. Tanda paid $3.80 to show.

And earlier in the Landaluce Stakes for 2-year-old females, Killer Graces with Talamo in the saddle rallied for a half-length victory over long shot early leader Mighty Caroline, running six furlongs in 1:11.23 and paying $6.60, $4.20 and $3. Mighty Caroline paid $13 and $5.60. Stayclassysandiego was a nose back in third and returned $4.40.

The favorite, Woebegon, was briefly second but faded to fourth.