Sands Point

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Eight sophomore fillies, including one main-track only entrant, have been
entered to go nine furlongs over Belmont Park’s inner turf in Saturday’s
$150,000 Sands Point S. (G2). LIFE IS SWEET (Storm Cat) enters this event off a
nice runner-up effort in the Calder Oaks most recently and appears poised to
claim her first stakes win.

Trained by Bill Mott, the bay lass broke her maiden over Belmont’s green by
nine lengths last October, but didn’t like the yielding ground at Monmouth Park
next out, finishing sixth in the Epitome S. She returned to take
her three-year-old bow in a Gulfstream Park allowance on February 22, then was
fractious in the gate prior to running fourth in the Ashland S. (G1) on
Keeneland’s Polytrack. Life is Sweet earned a nice 96 BRIS Speed figure for that
effort, and matched that in the Calder Oaks most recently. Kent
Desormeaux has been aboard for her past three starts and will take up the reins
once again Saturday.

I LOST MY CHOO (Western Expression) went three-for-three after switching to
trainer Phil Serpe, but suffered her first defeat while under that conditioner’s
tutelage when third by just a head in the Appalachian S. (G3) at Keeneland last
out. The bay filly was cutting back to a mile in that event and was rank early
on, but she’s been working well at Belmont of late and could relish the extra
eighth-of-a-mile here. Edgar Prado has the call on the miss, and the pair could find
themselves in the winner’s circle at the end of this one.

ALWAJEEHA (Dixieland Band) captured the Appalachian, rallying from
midpack to take the victory by just a head over Sweepstake (Ire) (Acclamation),
who was a nose up on I Lost My Choo. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, Alwajeeha
earned a stellar 107 BRIS Late Pace figure for her late run last time,
which was just her second career victory. Prior to that, she posted a pair of
runner-up efforts in Florida, in the Tropical Park Oaks and that aforementioned
allowance taken by Life is Sweet. Alwajeeha has
finished worse than second only once during her career, that coming in her
initial try, and is a threat to continue her winning ways in this one under John
Velazquez.

LOOKALIKE (Dynaformer) was well beaten in her only stakes try, but that came
while she was still a maiden. The Michael Matz trainee broke through with her
first win in her very next start, and captured an allowance at Keeneland most
recently while going the Sands Point distance. The dark bay lass also owns nice
numbers and could garner some black-type credit in this one with Eibar Coa
aboard. RAW SILK (Malibu Moon) has broken her maiden twice, leading from
gate-to-wire before being disqualified to second in her first attempt and
recording a 5 1/2-length wire score on April 16 to finally get her first
credited victory. Last time out, the Tom Albertrani charge led the way early in the Gaviola S. but was overtaken late and finished third. If she
moves forward at all off that effort, Raw Silk could garner another top-three
placing.

AMBIDAXTROUS (Deputy Commander) has scored easy wins in her last two tries,
but both came against state-bred company and produced low Speed numbers. She
might not be able to keep up against these. QUEEN OF PROTOCOL (Housebuster) will
face open competition after racing primarily against New York-breds and we’ll just watch to see
how she handles the change.

FOREST TRAIL (Forest Wildcat), the main-track entrant, would be tough on the
dirt, but we don’t see this one being moved off the turf. Also, the Shug
McGaughey trainee has been cross-entered in Saturday’s Little Silver S. at Monmouth
Park.