Hollywood Park: Eblouissante able to resume training following minor injury

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Eblouissante, the 3-year-old half-sister to 2010 Horse of the Year Zenyatta, resumed training on Sunday morning at Betfair Hollywood Park, a day after being scratched from an optional claimer after sustaining a minor injury in the backstretch receiving barn.

Eblouissante sustained an injury to her hip when she struck a stall door about 30 minutes before a scheduled start in Saturday’s fourth race.

Trainer John Shirreffs described the injury as like a “burn mark” that took off some of the hide on the filly’s hip. Saturday, Shirreffs said he was concerned about the way she walked in the minutes after the incident.

After undergoing ice treatment late Saturday and early Sunday, Eblouissante was deemed fit to train on Sunday. She jogged and galloped approximately 2 1/4 miles on Hollywood Park’s main track, Shirreffs said. He described her “as not favoring” the hip.

“She felt and looked normal,” he said. “We iced it about five times.”

Owned by breeder Eric Kronfeld, Eblouissante won her debut in a maiden race over 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 16. Saturday’s race was intended to be her first start against winners.

Sunday was the final day of the Hollywood Park fall meeting. The opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting is Dec. 26, and Shirreffs said he will look for a race for Eblouissante during the early weeks of that season.

One possible option is the $150,000 La Canada Stakes for 4-year-old fillies over 1 1/16 miles on Jan. 20. Shirreffs had hoped to use Saturday’s race as a prep for the La Canada. If another allowance race is offered, Eblouissante could start in such a race.

“I have to explore every option that is available,” Shirreffs said.

Saturday’s race would have been five years to the day since Zenyatta made the second start of her career at Hollywood Park. Zenyatta won her first 19 races before finishing second to Blame in the Breeders’ Cup Classic in her final start in the fall of 2010.