La Troienne

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Thursday’s La Troienne S. (G3) features three-year-olds fillies going 7 1/2
furlongs around one turn at Churchill Downs. ASPEN TREE (Holy Bull), the 3-1
morning-line favorite, is expected to scratch and run instead in the Kentucky
Oaks (G1) on Friday.

CULINARY (El Amante), who is listed at a remarkable 8-1 on the morning line,
broke her maiden impressively, drawing off by 11 lengths going a one-turn mile
in her juvenile debut at Arlington Park. She returned in the one-mile
Arlington-Washington Lassie S. (G3) to defeat Oaks contender Runway Model
(Petionville) and KOTA (Indian Charlie) by open lengths, earning a BRIS Speed
rating of 95 and a Late Pace rating of 107. In her most recent outing, the
Michael Stidham trainee was sent forth at 7-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Fillies (G1), where she forced the pace while wide on both turns before fading
to seventh, beaten 9 1/2 lengths. Culinary has a long series of works for her
return and rates our top choice based on two-year-old form/class.

HOT STORM (Stormy Atlantic) and PUNCH APPEAL (Successful Appeal) finished
within a head of each other, running third and fourth, respectively, in the
about seven-furlong Beaumont S. (G2) at Keeneland. The former has shown solid
improvement this year and gets a returning Jerry Bailey in the saddle, while the
latter won the one-mile Pocahontas S. over this track last year and is
tactically drawn on the outside under John Velazquez. If the top choice falters,
either of these could get their picture taken.

The John Ward-trained SEEK A STAR (Mutakddim) exits an impressive 5
3/4-length score over first-level allowance sorts at Keeneland and should be a
part of the mix early. The chestnut filly goes farther and steps up in class,
but could stick around for a share. Kota is a seasoned stakes filly who turns
back in distance off a good third-place effort in the 1 1/16-mile Instant Racing
Breeders’ Cup S. at Oaklawn Park. She figures to stalk the early going from the
inside and could earn a part.

The wild card is OUR KES (Ire) (Revoque), who has won her last three starts
in England on the Polytrack surface. She was purchased privately after her most
recent victory and is now trained by Bobby Frankel. She adds first-time Lasix
and Rafael Bejarano but she figures to be tested for class in this spot. SHE’S
THAT CAT (American Chance) brings improving form into this event after winning
her first two conditions and finishing a close second against second-level
allowance types last out. She would be a surprise. COOL SPELL (Grand Slam) won a
small stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in her first start of the season but has not
factored in two races since. She is hard to recommend.