Balance Picks Interesting Time to Win a Grade I

Owners John and Jerry Amerman are vacationing in Antigua, so they were not at Santa Anita on Saturday to see Balance become a Grade I winner with a victory in the $250,000 Las Virgenes Stakes.

The way the 3-year-old Thunder Gulch filly performed in her first start of 2006, trainer David Hofmans joked maybe the Amermans should be elsewhere when she runs next. The probable spot is the $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks on March 12.

Purchased for $250,000 on the recommendation of Bob Feld at the Keeneland September sale in 2004, Balance won for the third time in five starts in the Las Virgenes, beating 2-1 favorite Wild Fit by one length in 1:36.54 for the mile.

With a little luck, Balance would be unbeaten. She was disqualified from first and placed third thanks to a questionable stewards’ decision in the Hidden Light on Nov. 2, then was troubled when second, beaten by half a length, in her final start as a 2-year-old in the Hollywood Starlet on Dec. 18.

Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Balance, the 5-2 second choice, sat off the pace set by Meetmeinthewoods and Starlet upsetter Diplomat Lady, took the lead into the stretch and toyed with Wild Fit in the final sixteenth en route to the win.

“She didn’t have much time to catch up to herself because she came around so quickly toward the end of the year and now she has,” Hofmans said. “She’s a stronger, more mature and calmer filly now.”

Wild Fit, making her first start since finishing second behind Folklore in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Oct. 29 and first for trainer Patrick Biancone after being sold, finished 2 1/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Itty Bitty Pretty. The winner of the Del Mar Debutante last summer, Wild Fit is 0 for 2 in races around two turns.

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Star Parade became the second female in history to win the $250,000 Santa Maria Handicap twice when she defeated 17-10 favorite Proposed and five others Saturday at Santa Anita.

Joining Gay Style, who won in 1975 and 1976 for trainer Charlie Whittingham, as the only double winner of the Grade I, Star Parade, the 5-2 second choice, ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.31. It was the eighth win in 29 starts for the 7-year-old Parade Marshal mare, who is owned by Gary Tanaka and trained by Darrell Vienna. Martin Pedroza was aboard for the two-length victory, her third in six starts on the Santa Anita main track.

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Achilles Of Troy, the 3-10 favorite, made it three victories in a row with an easy win over 6-1 second choice One Way Flight in the $70,915 Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct. He will probably make his next start against tougher company in the $300,000 Fountain Of Youth on March 4 at Gulfstream Park.

In other races around the country, Rockport Harbor made a successful comeback with a win as the even-money favorite in the $100,000 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park; Gulch Approval, a 15-1 shot, led throughout to win the $100,000 Appleton Handicap at Gulfstream Park; 10-1 outsider Keagan beat 1-2 favorite Sky Diving in the $75,000 Turf Paradise Derby; Capitano, the 3-2 favorite, won the $75,000 Turf Paradise Handicap, and 9-5 choice Sierra Sweetie took the $100,000 California Breeders’ Cup Oaks at Golden Gate Fields.

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Jockey Mark Guidry, 46, has been selected the winner of the 2006 George Woolf Award and will receive it in a ceremony at Santa Anita on March 12.