It's hard to look past Oh So Easy

GROVE CITY, Ohio - Defending champion Oh So Easy figures to make it difficult on her five Ohio-bred filly and mare rivals in Sunday's $40,000 Bobbie Bricker Memorial Handicap at Beulah Park.

Oh So Easy, a 4-year-old filly, enters the Bricker off a runner-up effort in the Best of Ohio Distaff at Thistledown three weeks ago. In that 1 1/8-mile event, Oh So Easy stalked the pace before taking the lead in upper stretch but was caught late and beaten by 1 1/4 lengths.

Before the Best of Ohio, Oh So Easy had reeled off three straight stakes victories for trainer Tim Hamm, including two at River Downs in races run at the Bricker distance of 1 1/16 miles.

Overall, Oh So Easy sports a record of 9-4-2 from 25 starts, good for $263,145 in earnings. Hector Rosario Jr. picks up the mount on Oh So Easy, who must carry high weight of 124 pounds, conceding from six to 12 pounds.

Glorado, who finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Oh So Easy in last year's Bricker, looks like the main threat to the favorite again, although she is winless from eight starts in 2004. Trainer Kathy Jarvis has named Perry Ouzts to ride Glorado, who will carry 116 pounds.

Oh So Easy will be odds-on and figures to get a good stalking trip. A win by any of her five opponents would rank as a major upset.