La Brea

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Champion INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) leads a superb cast of 10 postward
in Saturday’s $250,000 La Brea S. (G1) at Santa Anita. The Bob Baffert-trained
dynamo was last seen running a big second in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare
Sprint over this oval, but the class of this field resembles that one, and the
sophomore will need to be at her best, on a surface that is not her preference.
While we have a world of respect for the sure-fire favorite, we’re going to try to upend her in this daunting
seven-furlong spot.

We’re going out on a limb with BSHARPSONATA (Pulpit) to upset this group for
Todd Pletcher, off the strength of her dynamite victory in the Playa Del Rey S.
last out. A multiple Grade 2 heroine, the bay miss ran a big second in the
Ashland S. (G1) and looked so good in her latest test, that it appears that the
filly, who can run on anything, excels on the synthetic. We acknowledge that
this field is much different from her latest, but we can see her as a major horse on the West Coast after the much-needed freshening from May to November.
Garrett Gomez will break from the widest post atop the bay, who should be
sweeping into contention approaching the turn for home.

Indian Blessing has never finished worse than second in 11 career starts and
is one of the classiest horses in training in the United States. She has brilliant speed but
is rateable, is a monster in the morning and has been favored in every start of
her career. The four-time Grade 1 queen is a must-use in everything under John
Velazquez.

NEVER RETREAT (Smart Strike) is a really intriguing prospect in here for Seth Benzel, and we give the improving miss an exotics chance at a price. The filly
has tactical speed and was visually impressive in taking the Rare Blend S. two
prior in her grass debut. The dark bay has never attempted to run on a synthetic
oval, but her grass affinity and pedigree suggest that she may love this stuff,
and the price will be right to take a chance on her. The bullet half-mile drill the
filly posted most recently indicates that she’s ready to roll. 

The speedster INDYANNE (Indian Charlie), a 9 1/2-length heroine of the Azalea
S. (G3) earlier this campaign, is brilliantly fast and has never finished worse
than second in seven career starts for Greg Gilchrist. With that said, the gray
lass has never raced beyond six panels and is a head way from suffering three consecutive
defeats, so she will need a career best to upend this classy field. On the other
hand, she could be controlling speed in here, and we would not dismiss such a
talented commodity with a lead turning for home. We’ll use her in many of our
plays, but prefer her inclusion on the bottom.

The lightly raced COUNTRY STAR (Empire Maker) looked like the next coming
with tallies in the Alcibiades S. (G1) and Hollywood Starlet (G1) as a juvenile,
but the filly was unimpressive in both the Ashland and Kentucky Oaks
(G1) this spring. Conditioned by Bobby Frankel, the Kentucky-bred was a useful
allowance winner in her latest attempt, a grass allowance tilt at Saratoga, but
her lack of race fitness on the track is a bit of concern to us. If anyone can
get a horse ready off the shelf it’s Frankel, but we won’t be tempted unless the
price is right.

LAURELDEAN GALE (Grand Slam) lacks the resume of most of these but has
flashed ability in a pair of allowance tilts in New York for Eoin
Harty. The dark bay was a smart maiden winner at Newmarket in her freshman debut
and finished second in a subsequent Group 3 event, but she has not progressed to
the point that many thought at this stage of her career. The Kentucky-bred has a
chance at an exotics piece at huge odds if she moves up on this oval.

Trainer Dan Hendricks picked an awfully difficult spot for the return of
GINGER POP (El Prado [Ire]), who has yet to annex a stakes race to date. The
chestnut, who has raced solely on the lawn, has ability and should be in the mix
early, but picking her to win is not a possibility for us, especially when her
conditioner is hitting at a 4 percent clip with horses returning off similar
breaks.

FOXY DANSEUR (Mr. Greeley) looks completely overmatched to us and would
surprise with a top-four finish. The Chris Paasch pupil sports a smart 4-2-2-0
local mark and her trainer has endured a solid second half of 2008, but we
simply can’t see her having an impact against this bunch. SHE’S CHEEKY (Black
Minnaloushe) is an improving sort who ran a big one over this going on Breeders’
Cup Friday, but this is a whole new ballgame.

ACCOPELA CHOIR (Vicar) would be the biggest upset of the year if she somehow
beats this field. We like trainer Vladimir Cerin and the 112 BRIS Late Pace
number the filly earned over this oval last out, but we must dismiss her.