Railbird

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Ten sophomore fillies have been entered in Sunday’s $100,000 Railbird S. (G3)
over Hollywood Park’s Cushion Track, and we’re tabbing the undefeated LETHAL
HEAT (Unusual Heat) to keep her record perfect in this seven-furlong test.

Trained by Barry Abrams, the bay lass will be making her Hollywood debut
after spending her first three career starts at Santa Anita. During that time,
she broke her maiden at first asking and captured an allowance/optional claimer,
both going about 6 1/2 furlongs on the turf. She switched to the synthetic track
last out and recorded a 1 3/4-length score in her stakes debut, the Santa Paula
S. (G3). Lethal Heat was clear late in that 6 1/2-furlong event, and we don’t
see the extra half-furlong here causing her any problems. Rafael Bejarano has
the first-time call.

MAGICAL VICTORY (Victory Gallop) is another lightly raced filly who will be
tough to keep from the win. The Gary Stute-conditioned bay captured her maiden
in her second try while stretching out to 1 1/16 miles on Santa Anita’s Cushion.
She then moved over to Hollywood Park and reverted in distance to six furlongs
to just miss by a half-length in an allowance/optional claimer. Magical Victory
worked a bullet half-mile on Santa Anita’s track Thursday, posting a time of :45
1/5, and looks primed and ready for her stakes bow. Regular rider Victor
Espinoza will be in the irons.

TASHA’S MIRACLE (Harlan’s Holiday) appears to be the class of this field,
taking the Sorrento S. (G3) and running fifth and fourth, respectively, in the
Oak Leaf S. (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) last season. She began
the year with a third in the Las Virgenes S. (G1), but was well-beaten at
Keeneland last out in the Beaumont S. (G2) going this distance. The John Sadler
charge owns nice numbers, but we’re not convinced she can get the job done in
this spot. Martin Garcia, aboard for the Las Virgenes, returns to the saddle.

P. S. U. GRAD (Harlan’s Holiday) broke her maiden last September in the
Barretts Debutante S. at Fairplex Park, but was thrown in the deep end just 14
days later when finishing 10th and last in the Oak Leaf. That was her final
start as a juvenile, and the dark bay filly appears to have returned to her
early form in three starts this season. She was a close fourth on the turf at
Santa Anita in her three-year-old debut, captured a mile allowance/optional
claimer at Bay Meadows two back, and was second to our top pick in the Santa
Paula most recently. P. S. U. Grad has the ability to threaten in the top three
under Michael Baze.

SWEET HOPE (Lemon Drop Kid) made her U.S. debut last out at Bay Meadows,
taking an allowance/optional claimer by two lengths while going six furlongs.
The Steve Sherman trainee has experience running on Polytrack in England, and
earned a nice 98 BRIS Speed rating for her stateside score. If she can transfer
that form to Cushion Track, the dark bay lass will be tough to deny under Jon
Court.

MILLION DOLLAR RUN (Tejano Run) is still a maiden after just missing by a
neck in her career debut last out. The chestnut miss will be getting first-time
Lasix in her second lifetime try and shouldn’t be discounted from the
gimmicks. LOVELY ISLE (Double Honor) was a dominant winner on Aqueduct’s inner
dirt in December, posting a 16 1/2-length allowance score, but hasn’t been able
to duplicate that form on the synthetic track so far. The Bobby Frankel-trained
filly’s best finish on synthetic was a second in the Las Virgenes after she led
in the early going. Lovely Isle will need the lead once again if she’s to grab
another graded check.

PEISINOE (Yes It’s True) hasn’t been able to challenge against others in here
before and we don’t see her reversing that form. HOMEMADE BREW (Milwaukee Brew)
just captured an allowance/optional claimer over Magical Victory last out, but
might not be able to last all the way here. We’ll take a stand against. HIGHLAND
TORREE (Menifee) might not be quick enough to keep up in this spot.