NEWS
Happy Ticket heads competitive field for Apple Blossom
Posted: Thursday, April 06, 2006
Stewart Madison's Happy Ticket was assigned high weight of 119 pounds for Saturday's $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park, and looms a possible favorite in the absence of familiar rival Round Pond in the 1 1/16-mile race for older fillies and mares.
Happy Ticket made her Oaklawn debut in her previous start — the Azeri Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3) — and battled Round Pond from start to finish before coming up a neck short in that race.
"I am really looking forward to the race with or without Round Pond," Happy Ticket's trainer Andrew Leggio Jr. said. "There are some nice mares in there."
Gary Tanaka's Star Parade (Arg), a career earner of $1,081,567 that will be making her third attempt in the Apple Blossom, figures to be a formidable challenger.
In the 2004 edition, Star Parade finished third to Azeri. Jockey John McKee lodged an objection against second-place finisher Wild Spirit (Chi) claiming interference, but the stewards made no change in the order of finish. Trainer and licensed attorney Darrell Vienna filed a complaint with the Arkansas Racing Commission, which placed Star Parade second.
The seven-year-old Parade Marshal mare returned for the 2005 Apple Blossom and finishing second by a neck to Dream of Summer. Star Parade comes into this year's Apple Blossom off a two-length victory in the Santa Maria Handicap (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
Stronach Stables's four-year-old Spun Sugar has never been off the board in eight career starts while winning four times. She closed out her three-year-old campaign with a runner-up finish to Sweet Symphony in the Alabama Stakes (G1) on August 20. Spun Sugar did not resurface until March 6 when she won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park by 4 1/4 lengths.
George Krikorian's Hollywood Story will make her Oaklawn debut in the Apple Blossom. She is winless in her last six starts, all in Grade 1 or Grade 2 company, dating back to her win in the Hawthorne Handicap (G3) on May 7 at Hollywood Park.
Happy Ticket and Hollywood Story could surpass $1-million in graded earnings with a victory in the Apple Blossom.
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, trainer, and morning-line odds:
1. Platinum Ballet (Skip Away), Clifton Berry, 112, Donnie Von Hemel, 15-to-1;
2. Happy Ticket (Anet), Robby Albarado, 119, Andrew Leggio Jr., 3-to-2;
3. La Reason (Labeeb [GB]), Terry Thompson, 112, David Vance, 15-to-1;
4. Hollywood Story (Wild Rush), Luis Quinonez, 116, John Shirreffs, 6-to-1;
5. Star Parade [ARG] (Parade Marshal), Martin Pedroza, 117, Darrell Vienna, 2-to-1; and
6. Spun Sugar (Awesome Again), Mike Luzzi, 116, Todd Pletcher, 5-to-2.
