Trying to Keep It in Balance

Five of the nine 2-year-old fillies entered in the $65,000 Hidden Light at Santa Anita are coming off victories.

Of the quintet, only Balance won in Arcadia. The other four -- Broken Tears, Elli K, Cross and Sweet Fourty -- won in Florida, Illinois and Virginia. Trained by David Hofmans for Amerman Racing LLC, Balance debuted on Oct. 7 and responded with a 2 1/2 -length victory going about 6 1/2 furlongs down Santa Anita’s hillside turf course.

Purchased for $260,000 as a yearling at Keeneland, Balance should be even more effective stretching to a mile, the distance of the Hidden Light. She is by 1995 Kentucky Derby winner Thunder Gulch out of a Kris S. mare.

Broken Tears and Sweet Fourty will be debuting for trainers Doug O’Neill and Jeff Mullins, respectively, after victories at Calder. The former beat $25,000 maiden claimers in her turf bow on Sept. 10. The latter won for the second time in four starts, winning a $30,000 allowance by 8 1/2 lengths in the slop.

O’Neill is also scheduled to start Cross, a Mighty filly, who won on the grass at Colonial on July 31. Elli K returns to California after beating $40,000 maidens on Sept. 2 at Arlington Park.

The field for the Hidden Light, a stakes-winning mare trained by the late Charlie Whittingham and the dam of 2005 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller, is completed by Golden Silk, Mimosa Mist, Docalady and Acceleration.

Race of the day: Play Ballado, who has won two of her first three starts, leads a field of eight 3-year-old fillies in the $65,000 Miss Oceana, the opening day feature at Aqueduct. Edgar Prado, the leading rider at Belmont Park, will be aboard the daughter of Saint Ballado in the one-mile race.

One for the road: Mago figures to improve in his first start for trainer Ralph Nicks and is meeting a weak field in today’s third at Churchill Downs. John Jacinto will ride the 3-year-old Mr. Greeley colt in the $15,000 maiden claimer at six furlongs.

Exotically speaking: A pick three using She Roves, Lunar Dreams and Naughty Laura in the first, Sports Edition in the second and I Swear, Are You Lookn and Sentimental Daze in the third.

Winners: (previous day/meet total): 2/75 Money: (previous day/meet total): $10.60/$408. Total money bet: $460.