River City

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Twelve will enter the gate at Churchill Downs for Sunday’s $150,000 River
City H. (G3) with one also-eligible entrant standing at the ready. The 1
1/8-mile contest features the return of WARLEIGH (Lord at War [Arg]), who hopes
to improve on his second-place outing in this turf event last year. The chestnut
is listed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite and we’ll try to beat him with TAM’S
TERMS (Private Terms).

The Lawrence Murray charge has never raced in Louisville before, but don’t
hold that against him, as he has run well at a variety of tracks around the
country. He comes off a runner-up finish in the Cliff Hanger H. (G3) to fellow
entrant DR. KASHNIKOW (El Gran Senor), which ended a two-run win streak. Tam’s
Terms is a versatile type, with the ability to be on the lead or sit off the
pace and wait for the prime opportunity. The six-year-old has made a home on the
turf, recording nine wins in 15 starts on the grass. Carlos Marquez Jr. has the
reins.

Warleigh should get out front and set the early pace. In a field of closers,
he sits in a good position breaking from the rail to make a gate-to-wire run
without any challenge up front. He comes off a disappointing outing where he
took the early lead, but was caught by the pack in the latter stages of the race
and crossed the wire 12 lengths behind the leader. Eligible to improve here, the
Steve Asmussen trainee’s front-running style makes him a credible threat. John
McKee will be lifted in the irons.

Trainer Steve Flint brings G P FLEET (Northern Afleet) into only his third
graded appearance after a dominating 7 1/2-length victory over optional claiming
competition earlier this month at Churchill. Two back, the four-year-old gelding
finished a close fourth in the Robert F. Carey Memorial H. (G3). He put up three
consecutive triple-digit BRIS Late Pace figures recently, including a 107 three
back in the Tri-State H., a race which G P Fleet won after trailing in the back
of the pack for most of the race. With morning-line odds of 15-1, keep this one
in mind while at the windows.

PRINCE PRADO (El Prado [Ire]) will be making his graded debut Sunday for
trainer Vickie Foley. The gray four-year-old will most likely sit just of the
pace or might make a run for the lead, as he did when winning against allowance
company four back in June at Churchill. This colt has never made an
off-the-board appearance in his six starts on the Derby track. His BRIS Speed
figures rate among the top in the field and he should make a good showing here.
Daniel Coa has the call.

QUEST STAR (Broad Brush) comes off a wire-to-wire finish last out and might
give Warleigh a fight up front. His last race against graded competition came
two back in the Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) in which he came in a well beaten
fourth. The Elliott Walden charge enters in good form and could hold for part
under jockey Larry Melancon. CLOUDY’S KNIGHT (Lord Avie) comes in with five wins
on the turf. His only race at Churchill put him off the board but the
four-year-old has the ability to go the distance and has shown he can win on
most any type of footing. He could be a factor.

HONOR IN WAR (Lord at War [Arg]) comes off a seventh-place outing against
allowance company after finishing as the runner-up in the Shadwell Turf Mile S.
(G1) for the second time in as many years. He has the ability to fare well here.
AY CARAMBA (Brz) (Roi Normand) comes off a poor trip in which he rated near the
back of the pack, but was able to close for second against lesser competition.
He might be overmatched here.

Dr. Kashnikow, winner of the 2001 and 2002 runnings of the River City, closed
late down the stretch to beat tiring rivals in the Cliff Hanger and will face a
more difficult challenge here. The seven-year-old gelding owns four wins at this
distance, but may not be good enough to prevail again. FRENCH LIEUTENANT (French
Deputy) has not proven himself against graded company and we’ll let him beat us.
FALSE PROMISES (Jules) came in ninth in the River City last year and has not
shown that he can compete in this level. We will also let DUMAANI STAR (Dumaani)
beat us in this one.

DEPUTY STRIKE (Smart Strike) is listed as an also-eligible and has the
necessary late speed to perhaps land on the board if he draws in.