Inglewood

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

MR NAPPER TANDY (GB) (Bahamian Bounty) will try to add a first stakes win to
his record on Saturday when taking on eight rivals in the Inglewood H. (G3) over
Hollywood Park’s turf. The Jack Carava-trained four-year-old, who was Group 3-placed in Ireland, shipped to the United States last fall and captured an
allowance/optional claiming test in his second try stateside. The chestnut colt
rounded out his 2007 season with a runner-up effort in the one-mile Sir Beaufort
S. (G3) and began 2008 filling that same spot in the Thunder Road H. Though Mr
Napper Tandy has never gone the Inglewood distance of 1 1/16 miles on the turf,
he scored a length victory going that distance on Santa Anita’s Cushion Track
most recently. If he transfers that Cushion form back to the turf, he should
find himself getting his picture taken for a second straight time. Alex Solis
will be in the irons.

STORM MILITARY (Arg) (Bernstein) ran off-the-board in his past two while
facing some tough rivals, and could use the slight class drop here to challenge
once again. The multiple Argentinean Group 1 winner captured the Thunder Road H.
over our top pick earlier this year, earning stellar 104 BRIS Speed and 113 E2
Pace figures for that effort. Trained by Bobby Frankel, Storm Military will
likely be close to the early pace and could pounce in the stretch to score his
second win of the season. Jose Valdivia Jr. has the call.

Last year’s Ack Ack H. (G3) winner EL ROBLAR (War Chant) returned from that
June 9 test to run third in the April 5 Potrero Grande H. (G2) most recently.
The Richard Mandella charge was always close in 2007 and appears to have
continued that trend into his six-year-old campaign. The dark bay will be
returning to a route of ground and the turf in this spot after sprinting on the
Cushion Track in his past two, and could threaten in the top three under Victor
Espinoza if he moves forward off his last effort.

GET FUNKY (Straight Man) rounded out his four-year-old season with a win in
the Morvich H. (G3) on October 27 and returns here off the six-month break, but
that shouldn’t hinder his chances. The dark bay has won off layoffs in the past,
and was fourth in this race last year prior to a game runner-up effort in the
Shoemaker Mile S. (G1). He could be on the same path this time around and could
threaten in this spot with Michael Baze aboard.

RATHER BE LUCKY (Aptitude) will be making his stakes debut in here off a
fourth in a mile allowance at Santa Anita. The Beau Greely charge actually won
going 1 1/4 miles in his 2008 bow, and could surprise in the top three at a nice
price. HEROI DO BAFRA (Brz) (Royal Academy), a two-time Group 1 winner in
Brazil, was close in the early part of last year’s Hollywood Turf Cup (G1), but
couldn’t keep up late in that 1 1/2-mile event. The Bobby Frankel-trained dark
bay could use the cutback here to finally earn his first U.S. win, but we think
he’ll do well to break into the bottom of the gimmicks.

UFFIZI (El Prado [Ire]) wouldn’t be the first claimer who jumped up to win a
graded event in California, but we’re going to take a stand against the
five-year-old. GHOSTTRAPPER (Notebook) is the likely early pacesetter, but we
don’t see him lasting in the stretch. HELLO SUNDAY (Fr) (Poliglote [GB]) is too
inconsistent for us to recommend.