Sahadi Has the Odds on Her Side

Through the first third of the Hollywood Park meet, trainer Jenine Sahadi has made her victories count.

Three of Sahadi’s four victories have been in stakes races and she figures to improve on that record this afternoon in the $150,000 Railbird Stakes.

Golden Ballet, the top 3-year-old filly in California, is the 2-5 favorite against six opponents in the seven-furlong Railbird, a Grade II and a prep for the $150,000 Hollywood Oaks on July 14.

Owned by Barry Irwin and Jeff Siegel’s Team Valor and Bill Heiligbrodt, the Moscow Ballet filly’s five-race winning streak was ended last month in the Ashland at Keeneland. Making her first start outside California, she finished second as the 1-2 favorite, 2 1/2 lengths behind Fleet Renee.

Because they wanted to give Golden Ballet a breather, her connections skipped the Kentucky Oaks and pointed for a summer campaign in her home state. She will be making her first start at Hollywood Park since winning the Nursery and Cinderella Stakes last year by a combined 8 1/2 lengths.

She won the Cinderella in her first start for Team Valor and Heiligbrodt, and before her defeat in the Ashland, she also won the Santa Ynez, Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks.

“She’s training really well,” Sahadi said. “The goal right now is to go through the series at Hollywood Park.”

Besides the Railbird and Oaks, the series includes the $150,000 Princess Stakes on June 16.

The 4-1 second choice in the Railbird is Starrer, a Dynaformer filly trained by Dave Hofmans for owner George Krikorian.

A loser in her first four starts, Starrer earned her initial win in the Santa Paula last month at Santa Anita, winning under Chris McCarron, who will be aboard Golden Ballet today, at 13-1.

Jose Valdivia Jr., Starrer’s jockey in two of her first three starts, will be back on today.

Completing the field, from the inside out, are Pretty ‘N Smart, who broke her maiden at Turfway Park in Kentucky in March, then finished a distant third in an allowance race at Keeneland; Warren’s Whistle, Carson City Red, Ruffena and Icansoiwill. Pretty ‘N Smart and Icansoiwill will race coupled in the betting because of common ownership.

Earlier on the card, the first 2-year-old stakes of the year in Southern California will be run with nine fillies expected to start in the $75,000 Nursery Stakes at five furlongs.

The Jeff Bonde-trained entry of Fertile and My Aim Is True is the 6-5 favorite on Russ Hudak’s morning line in a race where eight of the nine entrants are coming off victories.

A $97,000 purchase earlier this year by Bonde for himself and two partners, Fertile won comfortably in her debut, beating her seven rivals by 2 1/2 lengths. Who Loves Aleyna, who was second that day, has since returned to win. With Victor Espinoza riding A P Valentine in the Preakness, Laffit Pincay will take over on Fertile.

Trainer Shug McGaughey is holding a strong hand in the $200,000 Shuvee today at Belmont Park. McGaughey will be represented by Country Hideaway and Atelier in the one-mile race, which is a Grade II.

Ladies Din, who has been second in the $350,000 Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile the last two years, will miss the Grade I, which will be run on May 28, because of a bruised foot. In his absence, trainer Julio Canani may start his star mare Tranquility Lake against the boys. He is still undecided whether to run the multiple-stakes winner in the Shoemaker or against her own sex in the $250,000 Gamely Breeders’ Cup Handicap two days earlier.

Jockeys Alex Solis and David Flores will be at Hawthorne today to ride Ecton Park and Lido Palace, respectively, in the $500,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup.

Three undefeated quarter horses lead the field for the $392,900 Kindergarten Futurity tonight at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress.

Sassy Smith, the top qualifier from the trials on May 5, will be ridden by jockey Oscar Andrade, who had his pick of any of the five horses he qualified for the final. Your First Moon, the No. 2 qualifier, and Tux N Rolls are the other undefeated horses.