Hollywood Oaks at Hollywood Park

Las Vegas, NV – The Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks is on tap for this Saturday, June 23rd from Betfair Hollywood Park. Three year old fillies will be featured when they go 1 1/16 miles on Hollywood Park’s cushion track in search of their share of the $100,000 purse.

A strong field of eight has been lined up for the Hollywood Oaks. It is race 8 on Hollywood Park’s Saturday card with a post time of 4:40 PM. Here is a look at all eight entries and their past performances ahead of this Grade 2 event.

Willa B. Awesome – Willa B. Awesome is the most experienced of the contenders having raced 13 times in her career with five wins, three seconds and two third place finishes. She is coming off two straight wins – the Melair Stakes last time out on this track and before that an impressive score in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on March 31st. She did have a fourth place finish in the Las Virgenes but before that was awesome in winning the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes on January 28th. Willa B. Awesome also has a second in the California Breeders Championship Stakes on December 26th. She is in peak form, races very well on Hollywood’s cushion track and is unquestionably the horse to beat on Saturday.

Killer Graces – Killer Graces has three career wins all coming on this track. Lately it has been a bit of a struggle for the Jerry Hollendorfer filly – a third last time out in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes followed a disappointing seventh in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes. She was favored in the Santa Ysabel and finished second behind Willa B. Awesome and has fallen on hard times since. Killer Graces has three wins, four seconds and a third place finish in 11 career starts.

Via Villaggio – has 10 career starts and has placed in eight. Last time out was an impressive win in the Grade 3 Railbird here on May 18th in her cushion track debut. Her last two starts before that however resulted in fifth place finishes in the China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita in March and the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes on this track on May 5th. Before those results Via Villaggio won two straight – an Allowance race at Golden Gate on February 11th and a Maiden Special Weight win at Golden Gate on December 31st. Her win in the Railbird puts Via Villaggio on the Hollywood Oaks radar.

Eden’s Moon – is coming off a horrendous last place finish most recently in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks to follow two wins and a second and a third place finish in her other five career starts – a third at the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on March 31st an impressive score at the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes on March 3rd and a win in a Maiden Special Weight race at Santa Anita on January 8th. Bob Baffert pupils are always competitive – no reason to think differently despite her poor performance last time out.

Hollywood Oaks betting at Hollywood Park with OffTrackBetting.com

Starlight Magic – most recently won an Allowance here on June 7th and comes into the Hollywood Oaks having won three of her last five races and placing in the other two. Saturday marks Starlight Magic’s graded stakes debut.

Potesta – has just two career starts for trainer Mike Mitchell and is coming off an impressive 11 ½ length win last time out in a Maiden Special Weight race on this track on May 3rd. Her other result was a second in a similar race at Santa Anita on March 22nd.

Customer Base – raced in two straight Grade 2 races toward the end of 2011 – a fifth in the Golden Rod Stakes and an 11th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf but has not fared all that well in 2012. Last time out was a fourth in an Allowance here and in her only other start this year she finished sixth in the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs.

Open Water – most recently finished an very impressive third in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes after two straight wins – an Allowance and a Maiden Special Weight race at Turfway Park. Looking for a deep sleeper?

Race 8 on Hollywood Park’s Saturday card with a Post Time of 4:40 PM.