by Jenny Blandford

Multiple Grade 1 winner Balance will try to regain her winning form as she takes on undefeated Nashoba’s Key for the second time in the $300,000 Vanity Invitational Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Hollywood Park.

Amerman Racing Stables’ Balance finished third, 5 1/4 lengths behind Warren Williamson’s Nashoba’s Key in the 1 1/16-mile Milady Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G2) in their previous start on June 3 at Hollywood.

Balance’s four-year-old season kicked off with back-to-back graded stakes victories in the La Canada Stakes (G2) on February 11 and the Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1) on March 10, both at Santa Anita Park, before her third-place finish in the Milady.

Trained by David Hofmans, the Thunder Gulch filly has two additional Grade 1 victories to her record. During her three-year-old campaign, Balance was victorious in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G1) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1).

Undefeated Nashoba’s Key did not race prior to this year. Trained by Carla Gaines, the four-year-old Silver Hawk filly began her career on turf, winning her career debut on January 13 at Santa Anita.

Nashoba’s Key followed that win up with a six-length victory in a 1 1/8-mile allowance race on turf on February 7 and won the Fran’s Valentine Stakes on April 29 at Hollywood. Nashoba’s Key’s three-quarter-length victory in the Milady was her first start on Hollywood’s Cushion Track all-weather surface.

Grade 1 winner Hystericalady, runner-up in the Milady, and Grade 3-placed stakes winner Ballado’s Thunder, who finished fourth in the Milady, will be the only other fillies to contest the 1 1/8-mile Vanity Invitational on Hollywood’s Cushion Track all-weather surface. 

Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Hystericalady won the Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) on May 5 at Churchill Downs while Ballado’s Thunder, trained by Rafael Becerra, finished third in the Hawthorne Handicap (G3) on May 6 at Hollywood prior to the Milady.

Jenny Blandford is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor

The field, in post-position order with (sire), jockey, weight and trainer:

1. Nashoba's Key (Silver Hawk), Joseph Talamo, 118, Carla Gaines;

2. Balance (Thunder Gulch), Victor Espinoza, 122, David E. Hofmans;

3. Ballado's Thunder (Saint Ballado), Corey Nakatani, 115, Rafael Becerra; and

4. Hystericalady (Distorted Humor), David Flores, 120, Jerry Hollendorfer.