Portland Meadows Oaks kicks off bonus

The first leg of the new Black-Eyed Susan 2.2 series, a lucrative new venture for three-year-old fillies, starts on Saturday with the $80,000 Portland Meadows Oaks at Portland Meadows.

Portland Meadows kicks off the four-race series, which was created by track owner MI Developments. If a filly wins the Portland Meadows Oaks, the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) on March 5, the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) on April 2, and the Black-Eyed Susan, the winning owners will receive $2-million and the trainer will be awarded $200,000.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer will make the trip north from California with Alec’s Moon, a Malibu Moon filly. Alec’s Moon won races at the Sonoma County Fair and Hollywood Park and enters off a last-place finish in the Santa Ynez Stakes (G2) on January 15 where she was eased by jockey Garret Gomez.

Alec’s Moon has never raced on an off track, which she probably will encounter at the almost perpetually rainy Portland Meadows.