Sheepshead Bay

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A solid field of nine will travel 1 3/8 miles over the Belmont inner turf in
Saturday’s $150,000 Sheepshead Bay S. (G2). We are more than intrigued by
second-time U.S. starter SHADIYNA (Ire) (Dubai Destination), and will tab the
Christophe Clement charge for an upset in this affair. The four-year-old bay was
a solid performer in France last campaign, and her race at Aqueduct in advance of this should
have her set for a big try under Rajiv Maragh.

CRITICISM (GB) (Machiavellian) has toppled graded stakes fields in three of
her last four tests and is the one to beat for Tom Albertrani. The quick
five-year-old appears to be the speed of the race, as she often is, and she ran
a big one over this oval in her U.S. debut, so we see very few flaws. Javier
Castellano will guide the top threat.

Grade 2 heroine MUSHKA (Empire Maker) has flashed brilliance on the green on
a few occasions and could be sitting on a breakout race for conditioner Bill
Mott. The smart four-year-old looked especially good in her lone try past nine
furlongs in the fall, suggesting to us that this trip could be exactly what she
needs in order to peak at this level. Ramon Dominguez will be in the irons.

Grade 1 lass BACKSEAT RHYTHM (El Corredor) didn’t give the best account of
herself when fifth in the Jenny Wiley S. (G2) last out while making her debut
for Kiaran McLaughlin. The classy bay took the Hillsborough S. (G3) two prior
but has posted modest BRIS Speed numbers of 91, 83 and 85 in her three outings
in 2009, and she’ll need better to top these. We have a ton of respect for the
filly and would not be surprised in the least if she were to jump up and defeat
this group, but we’ll keep her mostly in the gimmicks under Eibar Coa.

VENETIAN CAUSEWAY (Giant’s Causeway) looked good when circling a first-level
allowance field at Keeneland last out and makes the big jump to graded company
for Shug McGaughey. The developing chestnut is virtually a one-run closer and we
would be shocked if she bagged this race. A top-three finish is not out of the
question, though, if a fast pace ensues. Jose Lezcano has the assignment on the
four-year-old, who is cross-entered to the Arlington Matron H. (G3).

RUSSIAN ROSIE (Ire) (Traditionally) is a useful performer who has never
registered a BRIS Speed number greater than 89 in her lifetime. We’ll pass on
the Roger Attfield trainee. CAPRICE (Ger) (Monsun) is a fairly consistent mare for trainer Graham Motion,
but we don’t expect her to do more than round out some vertical exotics on this
day. COLINA VERDE (Brz) (Know Heights [Ire]) is hoping to regain the form that saw
her dust three consecutive Group 1 fields in Brazil as a sophomore, but the
six-year-old has found the sledding a bit steeper on U.S. turf, and she would
need a career effort to crack the exacta from the outside post.