Competitive Field Set for Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes

Trainer Doug O’Neill will saddle the 5/2 morning line favorite Birdlover, a five year-old mare, who has won 5 of 15 career starts including two straight victories. The Great Britain-bred daughter of Byron took the Wishing Well Stakes February 8 at Santa Anita before earning another win against allowance foes March 22. Leading rider Rafael Bejarano will be in the irons breaking from post eight. 

Mandella Charge looks to regain form

Moulin de Mougin (4/1) experienced a rocky return to the races finishing ninth in the April 4 Thunder Road Stakes after six months on the sidelines. The Richard Mandella trainee won the Grade 2 John C. Mabee Stakes in August at Del Mar before failing to finish in the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive in her next start – a race that presumably necessitated the lengthy layoff. If Mouline de Mougin is able to return to winning form, she will be a major factor in the Wilshire, but handicappers will be left to guess which mare shows up.

Bling takes class drop 

Blingismything (9/2) drops slightly in class after consecutive third place finishes the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes February 16 at Santa Anita and Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes April 11. The five year-old daughter of Arch is still relatively lightly-raced, having won 3 of 9 career starts for trainer Eric Kruljac.