by Steve Bailey

Jon and Sarah Kelly’s Grade 1 winner Vacare will try for her first victory of the season as she takes on ten challengers in the $200,000 Palomar Handicap (G2) on Saturday at Del Mar.

The five-year-old Lear Fan mare, winner of the 2006 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland Race Course, has been assigned high weight of 119 pounds in the 1 1/16-mile turf race despite missing the board in each of her two starts this season.

Trained by Christophe Clement, Vacare closed out her 2007 campaign with a half-length victory in the First Lady Stakes (G2) at Keeneland but has struggled to find her form this season, finishing eighth of ten in the Just a Game Stakes (G1) on June 7 at Belmont Park and fourth in the Diana Stakes (G1) on July 26 at Saratoga Race Course. 

Vacare will spot her ten challengers between four and six pounds in the Palomar.

Arnold Zetcher’s Zardana (Brz) enters off a half-length victory in the 1 1/16-mile Osunitas Handicap on July 19 at Del Mar.

The four-year-old Crimson Tide filly, trained by Ron McAnally, has made five starts since coming to the United States from her native country last spring. In Brazil, she won all three of her starts, including the listed Luiz Alves de Almeida.

Kris’ Sis won the 2007 Osunitas but is winless in five starts this season. The five-year-old Forestry mare has, however, finished second in the Wilshire Handicap (G3) on April 23 at Hollywood Park and third in the Buena Vista Handicap (G2) on February 18 at Santa Anita Park and Milady Handicap (G2) on May 31 at Hollywood.

Grade 3-placed stakes winner Gotta Have Her, trained by Jenine Sahadi, has won one of her two starts this season, capturing a one-mile allowance race on June 4 at Hollywood prior to finishing last of ten in the Beverly Hills Handicap (G2) on June 29 in her previous start.

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times