Milady H.

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

The sublime ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) will go postward as a prohibitive
favorite against seven foes in the $175,000 Milady H. (G2), and we see no reason
to look elsewhere in this field. The John Shirreffs pupil has been routinely
brilliant in her unbeaten career to this point, crushing her foes by a combined
12 1/4 lengths from four tries. The dark bay answered the dirt, and class,
question with a remarkable romp in the Apple Blossom H. (G1) most recently and
hasn’t missed a beat since. Mike Smith retains the mount on the Kentucky-bred,
who should win this 1 1/16-mile affair if she breaks from the gate.

DOUBLE TROUBLE (Brz) (Wild Event) streaked home an emphatic vixen of the
Santa Maria H. (G1) at Santa Anita three back and seems the most likely
runner-up on this occasion. The Bobby Frankel trainee has been worse than third
just three times in her 17-race career and has a nice turn of foot on the
synthetic surface. Rafael Bejarano, who could do little wrong as of late at
Hollywood, will ride the five-year-old.

ROMANCE IS DIANE (In Excess [Ire]) is a dual graded stakes winner at this
track and trip, having taken the 2006 Hollywood Starlet S. (G1) and the Bayakoa
H. (G2) two back, and merits respect for conditioner Mike Mitchell. The
four-year-old has excellent early speed, something not many in the field can lay claim to, and
she’s difficult to run down if allowed to get comfortable in the early stages.
The California-bred was less than two lengths from the top selection in her
latest effort in the El Encino S. (G2) but will need some improvement to be that
close in here. Michael Baze
will guide the four-year-old.

SANTA TERESITA (Lemon Drop Kid) has improved steadily for David Hofmans and
was an excellent second in the Hawthorne H. (G3) in her graded debut last out.
The four-year-old bay has won or placed in six consecutive starts and sports a
solid 4-2-2-0 mark at this trip, so if Joe Talamo can navigate a sensible trip,
the filly could round out the trifecta.

KRIS’ SIS (Forestry) has been an admirable performer on the lawn in her
career and will make her Cushion Track debut in this one for Richard Baltas. The
dark bay five-year-old has useful tactical speed and is well drawn on the rail,
so a smart ride by Julio Garcia could land her a placing in this affair, if the
mare handles this surface.

FOXYSOX (GB) (Foxhound) held on gamely to annex the grassy Santa Barbara H.
(G2) last out but will need to duplicate that effort in the very least to
challenge this field. The Carla Gaines charge owns a win (the 2006 Bayakoa) and a third-place
finish in her two synthetic efforts and is proven at the trip, so she is another
who can affect the exotic payouts under Victor Espinoza.

LA TEE (Broken Vow) is a question mark at this distance and might lack the
class of much of this group, so we must look elsewhere than the expected
pacesetter.  MODEL (Giant’s Causeway) is ambitiously placed following her
runner-up effort in the Santa Lucia H. last out, and it looks like the bay is in deep
with this group. We don’t often ignore trainer Neil Drysdale when he makes such
a big jump in class with his runners, but repeating her lifetime best BRIS Speed
number of 92 will simply not get it done in here.