Leading fillies do battle in Alabama

Horseracing Betting Lines

08/18/2010 - Saratoga Springs, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Devil May Care and Blind Luck top a field of six for Saturday's $500,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga for three- year-old fillies.

The top two fillies are meeting for the first time since last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Blind Luck was third and Devil May Care finished 11th behind champion She Be Wild.

Both fillies are ranked in the NTRA Thoroughbred Poll. Blind Luck is seventh with Devil May Care just below in eighth.

Devil May Care, with jockey John Velazquez, will start from post two and Blind Luck will be ridden by Joel Rosario from the four post.

Devil May Care is coming off a dominating victory in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga. Trained by Todd Pletcher the filly won by four- lengths in the 1 1/8-mile stakes.

"We're looking forward to the matchup," Pletcher said. "It's not a two- horse race, but you are putting the two most accomplished fillies on the racetrack and ultimately that's what everyone wants to see - the two best meeting each other. There's no better barometer than a head-to-head matchup.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Blind Luck. She's got that extra something special you like to see in a racehorse - that desire to win. She keeps finding a way to get there."

Owned by Glencrest Farm, Devil May Care won the Mother Goose Stakes at Belmont Park after her 10th place finish in the Kentucky Derby. She began the year with a fifth in the Silverbulletday Stakes, but followed by winning the Bonnie Miss Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

"I do feel she is getting more professional and she's learning to polish her races off a little bit," Pletcher noted. "She's had that tendency to make the lead and wait. That's why you have to be careful in a situation like (the Alabama) where you have a horse like Blind Luck that's relentless and keeps coming. You can't make mistakes; you can't get there and idle and let them catch you by surprise."

Devil May Care has earned $699,000 in eight career starts with five wins.

Blind Luck, trained by co-owner Jerry Hollendorfer, will be making her initial start at historic Saratoga.

With Rosario aboard, Blind Luck posted a nose victory in the Delaware Oaks last month. In June she was second to Switch in the Hollywood Oaks which came after her furious rally to win the Kentucky Oaks.

Blind Luck won the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park in April as the 1-2 favorite. In February the filly won the Las Virgenes at Santa Anita as the 1-5 favorite, but failed at 1-2 to Crisp in the Santa Anita Oaks in March when she finished third.

The three-year-old has won eight of 12 career starts for more than $1.5 million.

Here is the full field for the Alabama in post position order: Acting Happy, Jose Lezcano; Devil May Care, John Velazquez; Tizahit, Edgar Prado; Blind Luck, Joel Rosario; Connie and Michael, Rajiv Maragh and Havre de Grace, Jeremy Rose.

The Alabama has a scheduled post-time of 5:50 p.m. (et).

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Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

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Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

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