Willa B Awesome to head the Hollywood Oaks field
Owned by a partnership that includes Phil Daniels, Patsy London, John Winters, and California breeder Terry Lovingier, the 3-year-old filly, Willa B Awesome hasn’t lost her touch to win big races, as she showed when she landed her first Grade 1 victory in the Santa Anita Oaks and surprised everyone.
Walther Solis’ trainee, Willa B Awesome will be at it again when she tries to earn herself another graded stakes victory – third of her career – in the Grade 2, $150,000 Hollywood Oaks at Betfair Hollywood Park on 23 June, 2012.
The advantage Willa B Awesome holds is that she will go against a couple of familiar rivals in the 1 1/16 miles event over the Hollywood Park’s cushion track.
Eden’s Moon and Killer Graces have gone up against Willa B Awesome on a few occasions, and the 3-year-old Awesome Gambler filly has triumphed over both in graded stakes races.
Bred in California, Willa B Awesome got the better of, Killer Graces, in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes, which also proved to be Will B Awesome’s seasonal debut at Santa Anita Park going over a distance of 1 1/16 miles on dirt footing.
However, in her next start, Eden’s Moon showed an amazing turn of foot in the mid-stretch to overhaul Will B Awesome, and win the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes over at a mile on the Santa Anita Park’s dirt track.
It seems as if, Willa B Awesome, relishes challenges over 1 1/16 miles, as she bounced back from her fourth place finish in the Las Virgenes to down and atoned for her defeat in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks, as Reneesgotzip finished second and Eden’s Moon third.
In the Hollywood Oaks, out of Nineeleven mare Cause I’m Tricky, Willa B Awesome will break from the rail in post 1 under jockey, Martin Pedroza.
Martin Pedroza had been riding Willa B Awesome since 17 September, 2011.
Bob Baffert trained Eden’s Moon will break from post number 4, and Jerry Hollendorfer’s duo, Via Villaggio will break from post number 7, and Killer Graces from the far outside post 8.
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