Eblouissante, half-sister to Zenyatta, wins debut at Hollywood Park

UPDATE: She was bet like a sure thing in the minutes leading up to the fourth race at Hollywood Park and, inexplicably, she won like one, too.

Eblouissante broke well and raced third from the rear in the early stages, moved up along the rail to the middle half of the main pack on the backstretch, rolled in hand three wide on the far turn and then kicked on well for home to win her debut by a couple approximately four easy lengths at the wire.

While a maiden race is simply that - a maiden race - I doubt trainer John Shirreffs could have asked for a better debut from Zenyatta's half-sister.

Chart via DRF.com

Video at the Blood-Horse.com.

ORIGINAL POST: Eblouissante (4/1), a half-sister to 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic winner and 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, will make her debut at Betfair Hollywood Park in today's fourth race at 8.5 furlongs on the Cushion Track. A daughter of Bernardini, Eblouissante is the sixth named foal from a group of Vertigineux progeny that includes four winners: millionaire Balance (winner of the G1-Las Virgenes, G1-Santa Anita Oaks and G1-Santa Margarita); multiple non-stakes turf winner Souper Spectacular; Where's Bailey, winner of the ungraded Remington Oaks; and Zenyatta.

Perhaps Vertigineux should be sent to Frankel (GB)?

The favorite in the fourth at Hollywood is John Sadler's second time starter 2-Belonging (3/1), a daughter of Include out of a Menifee mare (Alchema). Ironically, Belonging is owned by the Moss' while Eblouissante is trained by John Shirreffs.

Co-second choices on the morning line are 2-Saturday Nite Ride (7/2) and 8-Playful Humor (7/2). Saturday Nite Ride is a second time starter by Flower Alley out of a Gilded Time mare (Placerita), while Playful Humor, a daughter of Distorted Humor out of a Pleasant Colony mare (Colonial Play) is making her fourth lifetime start. Playful Humor is a half-sister to Marsh Side, winner of the G1-Candian International, G1-Northern Dancer and G2-Sky Classic.