Bayakoa

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A lackluster group of 11 fillies and mares has been entered in the $150,000
Bayakoa H. (G2), which lost its main star when trainer John Shirreffs opted to
give Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (G1) winner Life is Sweet (Storm Cat) a
little more time off. BRIECAT (Adcat) wired this 1 1/16-mile race last year, and
we’re tabbing the Vladimir Cerin charge to defend her title in the same fashion.

There is a lot of speed present in the Bayakoa, but Briecat could run them
all off their hooves. The four-year-old chestnut loves the Cushion Track at
Hollywood Park, racking up two wins and a second from three starts over the
synthetic, and the runner-up effort came against Horse of the Year contender
Zenyatta in the Vanity H. (G1) during the summer. Briecat returned
a few months later to add Del Mar’s Adoration S. to her record, and led until
midstretch in the Lady’s Secret S. (G1) in her most recent race. She won’t be
facing that same class here and could keep going under Martin Garcia all
the way to the wire.

SMOOTH PERFORMER (Benchmark) doesn’t have quite the same success on Cushion
Track as Briecat does, but the dark bay lass has placed in the top two in eight
of her last 10 races. She’s also one of just three competitors in this field
who’s managed to break through with a 100+ BRIS Speed figure. An allowance
winner going 8 1/2 furlongs in mid-July, the Cliff Sise Jr. trainee got up to
grab second in the Cat’s Cradle H. last out following a runner-up effort in the
California Cup Matron H. The four-year-old filly will get a rider switch to
Martin Pedroza for this one.

FLOATING HEART (Giant’s Causeway) will be making her stakes bow in this spot
and could surprise at a nice price with the hot-riding Joe Talamo in the saddle.
The Todd Pletcher runner was a dominating 5 1/2-length winner over Turfway
Park’s Polytrack two back, and added another allowance win to her resume when
trying Keeneland’s turf last out. The sophomore filly was stretching out to 1
1/2 miles in that latter event and earned a nice 99 Speed rating for her effort.

Stablemate LUCKY COPY (Unbridled’s Song) could also factor following an 8
1/2-length win on Keeneland’s Polytrack last out. The Pletcher four-year-old
will be battling Briecat for the lead, and her numbers are comparable enough to
give her a shot at running with our top pick. Winner of the Hatoof S. and
runner-up in the Pucker Up S. (G3) last season, the chestnut will get Rafael
Bejarano in the irons.

TEAMGEIST (Arg) (Mutakddim) is the 117-pound highweight in the Bayakoa, but
the Kenny McPeek charge has broken the top three only once from four tries in
U.S. races. That did come on Keeneland’s Polytrack in the nine-furlong Spinster
S. (G1) two back, but Teamgeist threw in another unimpressive effort when sixth
in the grassy Las Palmas H. (G2) most recently. The switch back to a synthetic
track might be just what the six-year-old mare needs to challenge, but we can’t
see her doing anything more than grabbing another placing. Alex Solis has the
call.

SILVER SWALLOW (Alphabet Soup) was third to Zenyatta in last year’s Vanity
but has been sticking to the sprint ranks in her four tries this year. A return
to a route of ground might inject new life into the Bruce Headley-trained
five-year-old, who has winning experience over the Cushion Track. She was second
two back in the A Gleam H. (G2) and will be making her second start here
following a four-month layoff. Consider for the exotics under Mike Smith.

CAT BY THE TALE (Tale of the Cat) has been competing very well on the turf,
but her three tries on synthetic tracks overseas don’t offer much encouragement
for her chances. MADE FOR MAGIC (Cape Canaveral) was running against
claiming rivals as recently as late August. We can’t see the four-year-old
factoring here. Both EISSOAI (Brz) (Roi Normand) and ZARDANA (Brz) (Crimson
Tide) finished well back in their prior attempts racing on Hollywood’s Cushion
Track. We’ll let them beat us. CZECHERS (Indian Charlie) doesn’t look fast
enough to keep up with these.