1. SEA CHANTER has the look of a major player. She ran second in the Grade II Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 29. (Scratched)
2. SKYLIGHTER is fresh. She hasn’t started since finishing fourth as a heavy favorite in an allowance/optional claiming race at Gulstream Park last Feb. 8. Skylighter won the Grade II Indiana Oaks last year. (Second)
3. STRIKING TOMISUE finished third in the Grade II Rampart Stakes at Gulfstream Park (Sea Chanter was second). Prior to the Rampart, Striking Tomisue took the Wayward Lass Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. (Scratched)
The Grade III William Donald Schaefer (Saturday, May 16)
1. EA is in good form. He won an allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 4, then finished second in the $500,000 Charles Town Classic on April 18 while defeating the likes of Dry Martini and Commentator. (Third)
2. READY SET ran second in an allowance contest at Delaware Park on May 6. He certainly has a right to improve on that performance due to it being his first race since finishing third in the Grade III Discovery Handicap at Aqueduct last Nov. 22. (Fifth)
3. CAVE’S VALLEY won by three lengths at Laurel on March 26, then ended up fifth at Belmont Park on May 11. Off that March 26 effort, he’s a candidate to finish at least third against these. (Seventh)
The Deputed Testamony (Saturday, May 16)
1. NORJAC is sharp as a tack. He’s going after his third consecutive victory. (Third)
2. SUMACHA’HOT switches to the dirt after finishing second on the turf May 1 at Pimlico. He splashed his way to a 6 1/4-length victory on the dirt March 28 at Laurel when the track was sloppy. (WON $7.00)
3. TAKE DOWN TWO has finished at least third in five of six starts this year. His jockey (Garrett Gomez) certainly is a plus. (Scratched)
The Grade III Gallorette (Saturday, May 16)
1. DYNAFORCE looks formidable. She’s making her 2009 debut after winning the Grade I Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont Park last year. Dynaforce is a deserving odds-on morning line favorite in this race. (Fifth)
2. ALL IS VANITY ran third in the South Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park on April 11. She’s eligible to improve on that performance due to it being her initial 2009 start. (Second)
3. QUIET MEADOW, a sharp Florida shipper, is bidding for her third straight win. She was victorious an allowance affair at Gulfstream Park on March 8, then also won a stakes race at Tampa Bay Donws on April 4. (Scratched)
The Grade III Hirsch Jacobs (Saturday, May 16)
1. TAQARUB ran second to the tough sprinter Capt. Candyman Can in Aqueduct’s Bay Shore Stakes at seven furlongs on April 4. He’s three for three in races at this distance (six furlongs). (Sixth)
2. CHECKLIST ran third in the Grade III Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs on April 25, a race won by the undefeated Hull. Checklist looks capable of proving a tough customer with these. (Third)
3. DESPITE THE ODDS is two for two. He romped to a 10 3/4-length triumph when unveiled at Laurel on March 4, then overcame an awkward start to win again at Laurel on April 2. (Eighth)
The Woodlawn (Saturday, May 16)
1. AFFIRMATIF looks tough to deny. He registered a nine-length win in his career debut on Gulfstream Park’s turf course Feb. 28, then ran second in an allowance contest on the grass April 5 at Keeneland. (WON $2.80)
2. HERO’S IMAGE has blossomed on the turf. He’s cominginto this race off back-to-back wins on the grass at Tampa Bay Downs. (Third)
3. BEACON HILL ROAD ran third in the Dania Beach Stakes on the turf Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park, then finished fourth in the Hallandale Beach Handicap on the grass there Feb. 14. He had a troubled trip in that Feb. 14 race. (Scratched)
The Grade III Maryland Sprint Handicap (Saturday, May 16)
1. AH DAY is back sprinting after finishing ninth in the $500,000 Charles Town Classic at 1 1/8 miles on April 18. He took the Grade III Toboggan Stakes at Aqueduct on March 7. Two-time Eclipse Award jockey Garrett Gomez adds to the appeal. (Sixth)
2. RAVALO showed early speed before finishing fourth in Keeneland’s Grade II Commonwealth Stakes. In his lone start at Pimlico, he snagged the 2008 Allen’s Prospect Stakes. (WON $5.40)
3. SILVER EDITION could be dangerous, especially with Julien Leparoux riding. Silver Edition finished fourth and had a troubled trip in the Grade II Churchill Downs Stakes on a sloppy track May 2. (Second)
The Grade II Dixie (Saturday, May 16)
1. PROUDINSKY followed Grade II wins at Santa Anita and the Fair Grounds by finishing sixth in the Grade I Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby card. Einstein was victorious in that Grade I event at Churchill. Proudinsky now moves back down to the Grade II level. (Scratched)
2. STRIKE A DEAL has the look of a contender despite having not raced recently. While he hasn’t started since posting a seven-length victory in the Grade II Red Smith Handicap on the turf at Aqueduct last Nov. 8, he seems a good fit with these in terms of his class. (Sixth)
3. WESLEY is coming off a victory in the Grade III Miami Mile Handicap at Calder on April 25. It will not be surprising if he finishes at least third in this race. He probably will be a nice price, too (8-1 morning line). (Third)
The Grade I Blackberry Preakness (Saturday, May 16)
1. PIONEEROF THE NILE was my choice to win the Kentucky Derby. I’m sticking with him to take the Preakness, especially if he gets a fast track this time. The Nile’s sharp four-furlong workout in :47 3/5 Tuesday at Churchill Downs is just what I wanted to see. I don’t think he particularly liked the sloppy, sticky track in the Kentucky Derby. I don’t think he hated it. But I think he finished second (to 50-1 Mine That Bird) despite not really liking it, either. The key, I believe, is for Pioneerof the Nile to get a chance to show what he can do when the track is not wet. I like him a lot less in the Preakness if it does turn out that he has to run on a wet track again. After Tuesday’s drill, in which Pioneerof the Nile was timed in :a strong 23 1/5 for his final quarter-mile on a fast track, Baffert was quoted in a story by the Louisville Courier-Journal’s Jennie Rees as saying: “I expect him to come back and run a big race.” Baffert has been terrific when running a Kentucky Derby starter back two weeks later in the Preakness. All three of Baffert’s Derby winners—Silver Charm, Real Quiet and War Emblem—also took the Preakness. Additionally, the Baffert-trained Point Given, who finished fifth in the Derby, rebounded to get the job done in the Preakness. (Eleventh)
2. FRIESAN FIRE finished next to last among the 19 Kentucky Derby starters. He was bounced around at the start of the Derby and emerged with cuts all over his legs, most notably a gash to his left front foot that was bleeding when he was returned to be unsaddled. However, the worrisome gash on that left front foot responded to trainer Larry Jones’ treatment that included a paste that is prescribed for diabetics who have wounds that won’t heal. The paste toughened up the wounded area. Friesan Fire’s five-furlong workout in a brisk :58 2/5 Tuesday at Pimlico suggests he could prove a tough customer in the Preakness, especially since this will be his second start following a seven-week layoff. (Tenth)
3. RACHEL ALEXANDRA is coming off a sensational 20 1/4-length tour de force in the Grade I Kentucky Oaks. She’s seeking her sixth straight victory. Maybe Rachel Alexandra is going to continue her winning ways in the Preakness as the 8-5 morning line favorite. But I’m not so sure. Rachel Alexandra drew post 13 for the Preakness. Since they started keeping track of post positions in 1909, there has never been a Preakness winner from post 13. No starter from post 13 has even finished second. If there is a scratch and Rachel Alexandra moves over to post 12, there have been three Preakness winners since 1909 to start from there: Kalitan (1917), Pleasant Colony (1981) and Afleet Alex (2005). For me, more of a concern for Rachel Alexandra than her post position is the fact that she’s coming back in 15 days off her smashing Kentucky Oaks triumph. She ran back in 15 days twice last year, losing both times. Of course, she’s a much better filly than she was last year. Still, perhaps returning in 15 days for the Preakness does make her vulnerable, with emphasis on the word “perhaps.” It might be that Rachel Alexandra is so great that she will drill Pioneerof the Nile and everyone else regardless of running back in 15 days and starting from post 13. (WON $5.60)
4. MINE THAT BIRD stunned the world with his Kentucky Derby victory. His win payoff of $103.20 was the second highest in Derby history, topped only by Donereail’s $184.90 in 1913. Was Mine That Bird’s Derby win a fluke? Maybe. Maybe not. He was, after all, Canada’s 2-year-old male champion of 2008. I think that Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby mainly because of relishing the sloppy track and receiving a ride for the ages in which Calvin Borel amazingly passed 18 rivals while racing mostly along the inside rail after trailing by 21 lengths early. The inside seemed to be the best part of the track, too. Like nearly everyone else, I was shocked to see Mine That Bird win the Kentucky Derby, especially by 6 3/4 lengths, the biggest margin since Assault in 1946 en route to his sweep of the Triple Crown. If Mine That Bird does run well again in the Preakness, I will not be surprised. And if he does win the second jewel of the Triple Crown, this time I will not be shocked. But I do expect to see someone other than Mine That Bird win the 2009 Preakness. (Second)
The Kattegat’s Pride (Friday, May 15)
1. MARIAS GOLDEN ROSE enters this off a two-length win at Penn National She seems to have found a good spot to post her third victory of 2009. (Scratched)
2. EYE has finished second in three straight. That makes her an excellent exacta candidate. (WON $3.60)
3. FOUR KARATS is switching to the dirt after finishing second on the turf April 8 at Laure. It looks like she has her work cut out for her against Marias Golden Rose and Eye. (Third)
The Very One (Friday, May 15)
1. SMART AND FANCY looms the one to beat while making her 2009 debut. She’s a very tough turf sprinter. She finished third in this race last year while making her 2008 debut, but that was on a muddy main track. If this race is run on the turf, Smart and Fancy has a very good chance to win it. (WON $4.40)
2. AHVEE’S DESTINY merits respect. She’s coming off a 2 ½-length win in a grass sprint at Gulfstream Park on April 23 while making her initial 2009 start. (Third)
3. ELECTRO NUCLEAR finished in a dead heat for fourth in a turf sprint April 9 at Santa Anita. She’s 0 for 7 since coming to the U.S. from South America, but could prove a tough customer if this race is run on a wet main track. (Scratched)
The Jim McKay Turf Sprint (Friday, May 15)
1. HEROS REWARD took the Grade III Shakertown Stakes while making his first 2009 start at Keeneland on April 11. He’s three for three in turf sprints at Pimlico. (Fifth)
2. MR. NIGHTLINGER seeks revenge after finishing fifth as the favorite in the Grade III Shakertown Stakes at Keeneland won by Heros Reward. Mr. Nightlinger is fast. How fast? He sped the opening quarter-mile in :20.73 and half-mile in an unbelievable :41.81 before finishing eleventh in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint down the hill at Santa Anita last Oct. 25. (WON $6.40)
3. ATTICUS KRISTY is an 8-year-old pro (59 starts, 13 wins, 12 seconds, 11 thirds). Rafael Bejarano riding is a plus, too. (Scratched)
The Skipat (Friday, May 15)
1. ALL GIVING has won 10 of 30 lifetime starts. This looks like it’s a good spot for victory No. 11. (WON $2.80)
2. LA CHICA RICA has won 13 of 39 career starts. She’s coming off a front-running score in a stakes race at Charles Town on May 12. (Scratched)
3. FANCY DIAMOND won the Conniver Stakes in a 10-1 upset at Laurel on March 14, edging All Giving by a neck. However, when Fancy Diamond ran fifth in the subsequent Primonetta Stakes at Laurel, she ended up almost nine lengths behind All Giving. (Second)
The Grade III Adena Stallions’ Miss Preakness (Friday, May 15)
1. GATORETTE won her first two career starts by margins of 7 1/4 and 7 3/4 lengths. Then, in Gulfstream Prk’s Grade II Bonnie Miss Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on March 27, she stumbled at the start, rushed up early, ran out of gas and finished fifth. (Fourth)
2. HEART ASHLEY bids for her third straight victory. She won an allowance sprint at the Fair Grounds on Feb. 9, then took the Grade III Cicada Stakes at Aqueduct on March 14. (WON $3.80)
3. MANI BHAVAN has not started since finishing seventh in the Grade I Alcibiades at Keeneland last Oct. 3, but she drilled four furlongs in :46 2/5 at Fair Hill on April 30. Mani Bhavan won Saratoga’s Grade II Adirondack Stakes and Grade I Spinaway Stakes last year. Based on those Saratoga performances and that :46 2/5 work, she certainly warrants the utmost respect in this race. (Fifth)
The Black-Eyed Susan (Friday, May 15)
1. CASANOVA MOVE finished second to Justwhistledixie in both the Grade II Davona Dave Stakes and Grade II Bonnie Miss Stakes during the Gulfstream Park meet. If she runs like she did in those races, it might put her in the winner’s circle after the Black-Eyed Susan. (THird)
2. RENDA finished fourth (far behind Casonova Move) in the Bonnie Miss. Nevertheless, Renda ran second in Gulfstream Park’s Grade II Forward Gal Stakes prior to the Bonnie Miss and is quite capable of having a big say in this race. (Seventh)
3. HOOH WHY, the 2-1 morning line favorite, won the Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 4 before finishing third as the favorite in Double Delta Stakes at Arlington Park on May 2. Hooh Why might be better on synthetic tracks than on the dirt. If that’s the case, she’s certainly no bargain at around 2-1. (Scratched)
The Hilltop (Friday, May 15)
1. BLIND DATE is a nice filly with three wins from four career starts. She was victorious in the Hookedonthefeelin Stakes while making her first 2009 start and grass debut at Pimlico on April 18. (WON $8.40)
2. RENA was a fast-closing fourth when unveiled in a turf sprint March 15 at Gulfstream Park, then won there on April 15 when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles. She’s by the terrific turf sire More Than Ready. (Second)
3. SEMINOLE LASS finished second in the Boynton Beach Stakes on Gulfstream Park’s grass course April 18. It certainly will not be surprising if she also runs well in the Hilltop. (Scratched)
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