Rampart

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

ONE CAROLINE (Unbridled’s Song) will meet only six rivals in Sunday’s
$150,000 Rampart S. (G2), and the unbeaten filly looks like the controlling
speed in the 1 1/8-mile Gulfstream Park event. Four-for-four overall, the Rusty Arnold trainee
captured her stakes debut, the Sabin S. (G3), by a length last time. While not
the dominating performance of her earlier starts, the gray registered
career-best 105 BRIS Speed and 107 BRIS Late Pace ratings. One Caroline will
stretch back out to a route but owns experience around two turns, winning her
first two starts at 1 1/16 miles last year at Churchill Downs. She’s trained
forwardly in preparation for this start and looks difficult to get past.

AFRICAN VIOLET (Lemon Drop Kid) figures to be forwardly placed under Julien
Leparoux, and the Grade 2 runner-up likes the track (two-for-two). The Graham
Motion runner returned off a layoff with a fourth in a grassy allowance/optional
claiming event last time, and that should serve as a good tightener. She owns
solid Speed and Pace numbers, and African Violet looks very capable if our top
choice falters.

Canadian champion three-year-old filly GINGER BREW (Milwaukee Brew) hasn’t
raced over dirt in a long time, but the classy lass handles any kind of surface
and must be respected. The chestnut doesn’t own much tactical speed, which
looks like a serious concern here, but she figures to offer another solid late
run and looks very capable of grabbing a minor award.

STRIKING TOMISUE (Smart Strike) will enter on the upswing for Nick Zito,
winning her last two outings, including the Wayward Lass S. most recently at
Tampa Bay Downs. We’re not sure that this is her best distance, but we respect
her chances for a top-three placing. The five-year-old mare should enjoy a good
trip up close to the pace.

HAMSA (Fusaichi Pegasus) is eligible to grab part in her four-year-old bow,
but she wasn’t the most consistent performer at three and might need a race back
off the layoff. SEA CHANTER (War Chant) has raced exclusively over turf and just
missed in the Marshua’s River S. two starts back at Gulfstream. The nine-furlong
distance should be no problem, but we don’t have any confidence in her ability
to handle the main track. SO GLITZY (Gilded Time) hasn’t been much of a factor
in her recent starts and would be a huge surprise here.