Eatontown

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

EYE OF TAURUS (Aldebaran) loves Monmouth Park’s turf, taking two wins from
three starts on that course, and makes just her second start of the year in
Monday’s $150,000 Eatontown S. (G3) while going 1 1/16 miles at that venue. The
Kiaran McLaughlin runner opened her four-year-old campaign with a nice third
against turf allowance rivals at Keeneland on April 11, and is looking to add a
second stakes win to her resume following a head victory in a division of the Valley View S.
(G3) to close out 2009. That was the bay’s stakes bow, and Eye of Taurus is our
pick to go undefeated against stakes rivals with another win here. Alan Garcia
has the return call.

SCOLARA (Quiet American) has never competed over the Monmouth turf, but the bay mare is
no stranger to stakes competition. Second most recently in the Beaugay S. (G3),
the Bill Mott trainee is a dual stakes winner from last year and just missed by
a neck in the Florida Cup Turf Distaff S. two back. The five-year-old earned a nice 95 BRIS
Speed rating for that rallying effort and will be tough to hold off in this
spot. Eddie Castro will take the reins.

MARAM (Sahm) is a lightly raced four-year-old who captured her first four
starts, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2008. She competed
only three times last year, taking the John Hettinger S. before suffering her
first career loss when just missing by a neck in the Pebbles S. The dark bay
concluded her sophomore campaign with a gutsy sixth, just 3 1/2 lengths back of
the winner, in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), and she’ll be making
her return here off a 206-day break. The Chad Brown charge has the talent to
challenge, but the long layoff may keep her from the win. Jose Lezcano will be
aboard.

MY PRINCESS JESS (Stormy Atlantic) appears to be the class of this field, but
was a well-beaten fourth in the Beaugay last out. That was her first start of
the year, so the dark bay probably needed a race off the seven-month break.
Nonetheless, we can’t endorse at probable low odds until she shows the same
talent that saw her take the 2009 Beaugay as well as place in the Just a Game S.
(G1) and Ballston Spa H. (G2). A record-setting winner of the grassy Boiling
Springs S. (G3) as a sophomore at Monmouth, My Princess Jess is the one to beat
if she returns to form under Joe Bravo.

AKILINA (Langfuhr) has finished off the board only once in nine career turf
starts, and ran third two back in the Honey Fox S. (G3) to open her
four-year-old season. The chestnut miss is a consistent runner who regularly
earns a spot in the top three, so we recommend including her in all gimmick
wagers.

GYPSY’S WARNING (SAf) (Mogok) is a dual Group 1 winner in South Africa and
will be making her U.S. bow in this race. We’ll watch to see how she acclimates
to the new surroundings and first-time Lasix. OMEGA CAT (Omega Code) was second
by a head against Florida-bred stakes rivals last out, but graduated to that one
off a win against claiming rivals. We can’t recommend.