Blind Luck

Blind Luck wins the 2011 Vanity

This year marks the first time in four years that Zenyatta has not won the Vanity Handicap. Instead, the victory fell to Blind Luck, one of the top female handicappers in America.

Blind Luck is the 4-year-old daughter of 2004 Kentucky Derby starter, Pollard's Vision. Bought for a measly 10k at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton, then sold again for 11k at the Ocala Breeders' Sales, no one thought she would ever become the champion she turned out to be.

But, boy, did she prove them wrong. In all 21 of her races, she has never gotten anything lower than third place. Her earnings are more than 2 million. Half of the racehorses nowadays never acquire the amount of money their owners pay for them. But Blind Luck has. She is truly a diamond in the rocks.

Among her races, Blind Luck has won 6 GR1 races, the most prestige type of races in horseracing. Included in those GR1 races is the Kentucky Oaks, which is pretty much the Kentucky Derby for fillies. Held the day before the Derby, it is just as tough as the Run For the Roses.

Blind Luck after winning
the 2010 Kentucky Oaks

Blind Luck's racing style is a very thrilling one. She hangs at the back of the pack until the last second, then charges up to the front to catch the front runner at the wire. All her races have been won like that. She reminds me a little of Zenyatta, who won her races in the same fashion.

There is a bit of a rivalry between Blind Luck and a daughter of Saint Liam, named Havre de Grace. They have raced six times together, Blind Luck taking the lead with a 4-2 advantage. Their last encounter was in the Delaware Handicap last weekend. Blind Luck ran it at her usual pace. But then it became a two horse race when the two rival fillies separated themselves from the rest of the field by many lengths, battling each other for the lead down the stretch. It was a very, very, very close race. But Blind Luck proved the victor by barely a nose in the end.

Blind Luck and Havre de Grace
 in the 2011 Delaware Handicap

There is no indication as to what Blind Luck's next race will be, but there are a few possibilities that her owner and trainer are considering. Including: the GR1 Clement L. Hirsch on August 6th or the GR1 Personal Ensign on August 28th. The main goal for Blind Luck is the November 4th Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic.

An interesting fact is that if both Blind Luck and Havre de Grace run in the Personal Ensign, the race managers will raise the winning purse from $300,000 to $600,000. But only if both fillies run.

I do wonder what is in store for this amazing filly. She is certainly good for the racing world. Since Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra retired, it is good that there is still some amazing fillies to watch. Not that there wouldn't be if Blind Luck and Havre de Grace weren't racing, as the fillies are totally the more dominant in horseracing at the moment. But it is still good.

In short, I absolutely adore this filly, and hope that she kicks Havre de Grace's butt in their next meet, if only for the sake that Kristin really likes Grace, and I Luck ;)

Pictures of Blind Luck