Crown Royal American Turf

AMERICAN
GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

The Crown Royal American Turf S. (G3) for three-year-olds is the race
immediately preceding the Kentucky Oaks (G1), and STREAM CAT (Black Minnaloushe)
is our top choice. The Patrick Biancone-trained colt has not started since the
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), where he began at the back of the field before
passing several others and running eighth. In his prior start, Stream Cat closed
deceptively well from last to finish a better-than-appears third in the
Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.

Stream Cat rated kindly and displayed push-button acceleration when
breaking his maiden in the 1 1/16-mile With Anticipation S. in his turf debut at
Saratoga last summer. He followed that up with a similar come-from-behind
victory in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile S. (G3) on Turfway Park’s Polytrack surface
before closing out his juvenile campaign in the aforementioned Grade 1 events.
Biancone does very well with horses returning off a layoff, and Stream Cat has
many things to like, not the least of which is class, route acceleration/speed,
turf ability and jockey (stable rider Julien Leparoux).

GO BETWEEN (Point Given) is trained by turf master Bill Mott and has yet
to finish off the board in five starts on grass. The chestnut colt broke his maiden
by open-lengths despite trouble in his seasonal debut and followed that up
with an impressive victory over the ill-fated Up an Octave in the nine-furlong Palm
Beach S. (G3) at Gulfstream Park. The latter came back to win the Forerunner S.
at Keeneland for conditioner Todd Pletcher. In his most recent start, Go Between
rallied from the outside around the far turn before falling a half-length
short in a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. He will be hard to keep off
the board.

The Pletcher-trained TAHOE WARRIOR (Carson City) set the early pace before
holding on gamely for third, beaten less than a length, in the Forerunner. The
only other time he did not win in four starts on the turf was when he ran second
to Can’t Beat It (Atticus) in a 1 1/16-mile turf allowance at Gulfstream Park.
The latter won the grassy Hallandale Beach S. in his next start. Tahoe Warrior
figures to be in the mix early and could stick around for a share under Garrett
Gomez.

GIANT BASIL (Giant’s Causeway) is two necks shy of being undefeated in three
starts on the turf. The Nick Zito trainee comes off a solid victory over
first-allowance foes going nine furlongs on the grass at Keeneland. The chestnut
colt projects a forwardly placed trip and can garner a minor part with improvement.
ACT OF GOD (Black Minnaloushe), a maiden trained by Fred Seitz, ran a close
third to Go Between in Florida and a close fifth in the Forerunner. As a price
play, he could some value to the exotics.

GAELIC STORM (El Prado [Ire]) broke his maiden impressively going nine
furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream Park in his last start and is trained by the
ever-dangerous Dale Romans. He has some upset potential at large odds. MALAMEEZE
(Saint Ballado) ran third in the Lane’s End S. (G2) and then a non-threatening
fifth in the Illinois Derby (G2). Our concern is that he will be making his
first start on turf in this spot. Mixed feelings. The speedy WARRIOR WITHIN (Catienus)
figures to add to the early fractions beneath Rafael Bejarano, but he has class,
surface and distance questions. We’re just going to watch.

Trainer David Hofmans said SACRED LIGHT (Holy Bull) would scratch and run in
an allowance race on Saturday. If not, the Santa Catalina S. (G2) runner-up
would be making his turf debut here and would have to be considered for a top
placing.