Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park
Las Vegas, NV - The 71st running of the Grade 1 Vanity Handicap is on tap for this Saturday, June 16th from Betfair Hollywood Park. The race features fillies and mares three years old and upward willing to go 1 1/8 miles on Hollywood Park's cushion track. A nice purse of $250,000 is on the line for the Grade 1 race this weekend.
A very strong group of eight females will take part in race 9 on Hollywood's Saturday Card including the top four finishers in the recent Marjorie L. Everett Handicap. The Vanity goes at 5:10 PM. Let's take a look at all of the participants and the recent results that brought them to this Grade 1 event.
2012 Vanity Handicap Race Favorites
Include Me Out - has been stellar in 2012 - three starts starts and three wins in the Grade 2 Marjorie L. Everett Handicap last time out on this track, in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational Stakes at Santa Anita on March 17th and an impressive 4 ½ length victory in the Grade 2 La Canada Stakes on January 22nd on that same track. Two of those three wins have come over this distance. Include Me Out has five wins, two seconds and a fifth place finish in her last eight starts and is definitely the horse to beat Saturday.
Ellafitz - Bob Baffert trained Ellafitz had been on quite a roll with three straight wins before a fourth in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational Stakes on March 17th. Last time out was a decent second in the Grade 2 Marjorie L. Everett. Her recent wins include the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes on February 18th, the Pasadena Handicap at Santa Anita on January 15th and the Grade 2 Bayakoa Handicap on this track on December 4th. Ellafitz has a lot to prove on Saturday and she would love to avenge her recent loss to Include Me Out.
Zazu - Zazu is a multiple graded stakes winner that finished fourth in her only start of 2012 in the Marjorie L. Everett Handicap after an impressive end to her 2011 campaign. In her last race of 2011 Zazu captured the Grade 1 Lady's Secret Stakes at Santa Anita on October 1st to follow up a second in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes back in August and a win at the Grade 2 Hollywood Oaks in June. In 12 career starts, Zazu has finished worse than third only two times - she will be a test for the two front runners in the Vanity.
Vanity Handicap 2012 | Remaining Field Entries
Caelis - has raced six times in 2012 and has placed in her last five. Last time out was a very good third in her graded stakes debut - the Grade 2 Marjorie L. Everett. In 18 career starts, Caelis has four wins five seconds and four third place finishes.
Love Theway Youare - hasn't tasted victory in 11 races - an Allowance race on this track. Most recently finished sixth in the Marjorie L. Everett to follow up a seventh in the Grade 2 La Troienne Stakes in May and an impressive second in the Grade 1 Santa Margarita Invitational Stakes on March 17th - the only time she's placed in those 11 starts.
Vanity Handicap betting at Hollywood Park with OffTrackBetting.com
Atlantic Swing - will make her first start of 2012 and her first start on American soil after an OK career in Europe. Atlantic Swing had one win and two thirds in five career starts overseas.
Rock and Glory - has been very impressive of late - two wins by a combined 19 ½ lengths at a Maiden Special Weight at Santa Anita on April 13th and an Allowance last time out here on May 10th. This will be Rock and Glory's graded stakes debut.
Zafeen's Pearl - English bred mare making her first start in North America after a 17 race career overseas resulted in four wins, five seconds and a third place finish. She did have two wins in October 2010 however.
