Hystericalady No Joke in Hollywood BC Oaks

Hystericalady, shipped south by trainer leading Northern California conditioner Jerry Hollendorfer, demolished the field in the $152,400 Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks (gr. II) Sunday at Hollywood Park.

Stretched out to two turns for the first time in the 1 1/16-mile Oaks, Hystericalady, dismissed at 7-1, bounced away from the gate under Patrick Valenzuela from her rail post position to get the lead. She was never headed while kept to her task through the lane for a ridiculously easy 7 1/2-length triumph. The final time was 1:43.

Valenzuela said he was surprised at how well the filly held her speed against a good group of opponents.

"When they came to me I nudged her a little bit, she picked up very easily so I just waited till the head of the stretch and threw a cross on her," he said. "She switched to her right lead and took off. It was very nice, very comfortable and very professional."

Squallacious, the 4-5 favorite making her stakes debut 11 days after an impressive win over a first level allowance field at seven furlongs, overtook Downthedustyroad in the final furlong to finish second by two lengths. Downthedustyroad, an Arkansas-bred making her first start for trainer Bob Baffert, settled for third while She's An Eleven, the 2-1 second choice, finished fourth.

Hystericalady made it back-to-back wins for Hollendorfer, who co-owns the Kentucky-bred daughter of Distorted Humor  -Sacramentada (Northair) with Rancho San Miguel and George Todaro. She took a six-furlong allowance heat at Bay Meadows in by two lengths in 1:08 3/5 in her most recent start on May 10. The runner-up in that race, Victorina, came back to run third in the Dogwood (gr. III) in her last start. Hystericalady began the year with a fourth-place finish as part of an even-money entry in a Golden Gate Fields overnight stakes at six furlongs March 17.

"I've just really and truly always liked this filly," Hollendorfer said. "I like the way that she's trained, and she's done all the things that we've asked her to do. I thought she would stretch out, and now she does have speed and tactical speed so I think that's dangerous at any time. Obviously she handled the track real well today."

Her longest effort prior the Oaks was a sixth-place finish as a 2-year-old when ridden for the first time by Valenzuela in the Sorrento (gr. III) at Del Mar in August, her final start in 2005.

"Unfortunately she got hurt in that race and she didn't run that good," Valenzuela said. "So they gave her some time and she's back, and she's running some bang-up races."

Hystericalady, with Downthedustyroad and Victor Espinoza keeping the pressure on in second, clicked off moderate fractions of :23 3/5 for the opening quarter-mile, :47 for the half and 1:11 1/5 for three-quarters. As they rounded the far turn, Hystericalady shook loose of Downthedustyroad and the other stalkers, Mystery Girl and Bettarun Fast, to open up by nearly four lengths. Squallacious, stuck wide throughout for Corey Nakatani, tried to rally as the others backed up fast, but could not find traction. She angled to the inside and swept past Downthedustyroad late but was never a danger to the winner.

"We were setting a pretty decent pace and she was running really comfortably," Valenzuela said.

The winner, a $125,000 Keeneland yearling buy in September 2004, has now won four of six, all the victories coming at different tracks. The winning share, worth $95,040, increased her earnings to $159,065.

Abbott Properties bred the chestnut filly Hystericalady.

She paid $16.40, $6.40 and $4.80. Squallacious returned $3 and $2.80. Downtherustyroad was $6.80 to show.

Following She's an Eleven were Chosen Royalty, Mystery Girl and Bettarun Fast.

(Chart, Equibase)