Sheepshead Bay

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

The $150,000 Sheepshead Bay S. (G2) didn’t attract the deepest field of turf
distaffers and BUBBLY JANE (Brz) (Yagli) can return to the races with a victory.
A multiple Group 1 winner in Brazil in 2008, the dark bay ran well in four U.S.
starts last year for Paulo Lobo, winning both the Donor S. and Possible Mate S.
at Belmont Park before rounding out the season with a third in the Long Island
H. (G3) at Aqueduct, and South American-based horses often need time to
acclimate to North American racing. She’s eligible to show even more at five and
Saturday’s 1 3/8-mile distance is a perfect fit. We won’t go against the
stalker.

BALLYNOE (Distorted Humor) ran well when finishing third in the 1 1/2-mile
Dowager S. two back and is a strong candidate to improve upon her seasonal bow,
a seventh in a tough one-mile allowance at Keeneland. That was clearly a
tightener for the late-running mare and Tom Proctor does well with shippers (21
percent win). With recent triple-digit BRIS Speed and Late Pace numbers to her
credit, Ballynoe merits consideration for top honors, but we’ll tab her for
runner-up honors in her graded debut.

Though this race is over the inner turf, TREAT GENTLY (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire])
has won over Belmont’s Widener turf,
winning an allowance/optional event last summer in her U.S. debut. The Bill
Mott-trained mare has struggled against better opposition, but the French Group
2 winner recorded a decent second in the San Gorgonio H. (G2) at Santa Anita
earlier this season and could find this company to her liking. She’ll be
forwardly placed under Kent Desormeaux and is a logical top three contender.

NEHANTIC KAT (Tomorrows Cat) competed against mostly state-breds earlier in
her career, but the seven-year-old mare has come on this season for Barclay
Tagg, placing in both the Orchid S. (G3) and The Very One S. (G3) at Gulfstream
Park. The 1 3/8-mile distance remains a bit of a concern, but she owns a nice
mark at Belmont (8-2-2-2) and ranks first in BRIS Prime Power (153.3). She
merits serious consideration for the exotics.

TARRIP (Green Desert) could be a nice one for Christophe Clement, but she
hasn’t earned top BRIS numbers in her last two wins over allowance and maiden
special weight rivals. THE GAILLIMH GIRL (Ire) (Montjeu [Ire]) is another
lightly-raced filly who will step up in class for Clement, scoring in a slowly
run entry-level allowance at Keeneland last time. We’ll give both a start
against stakes foes.

LIBERALLY (Ire) (Statue of Liberty) likes a route of ground, but we can’t
recommend her chances based on recent efforts. PARI (Sky Classic) appears likely
to set the pace from the rail, but we can’t get the enthused about the chance’s
of the former claimer.