Inglewood

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

VANGELIS (Highest Honor [Fr]) enters Saturday’s $100,000 Inglewood H. (G3) at
Hollywood Park still looking for a first U.S. score, but could find the winner’s
circle in this 8 1/2-furlong turf test. The Bobby Frankel charge has been close
in his four starts stateside, most recently finishing third by only 1 1/2
lengths in the Clement L. Hirsch Memorial Turf Championship S. (G1). That came
in early October last year, but the gray six-year-old, who has posted three
consecutive triple-digit BRIS Speed ratings, has won off long layoffs in the
past, taking the Prix d’Harcourt (Fr-G2) in last year’s seasonal bow, and has
been working well to prepare for this one. Jose Valdivia Jr. will be back in the
saddle and we think the pair will finally record a win together.

INESPERADO (Fr) (Zayyani [Ire]) has not been off the board since a close
fifth-place finish in the 2003 Shadwell Turf Mile (G1). Also trained by Frankel,
the bay horse comes into this one off a nice third in an allowance while making
his six-year-old debut and has always been competitive against stakes
competition. We would like for his Speed numbers to be a bit higher, but
Inesperado more than makes up for it with a nice late kick. Tyler Baze has the
call, and the duo could end up on top of a 1-2 Frankel finish.

RED FORT (Ire) (Green Desert) scored in his U.S. debut last out at Santa
Anita, taking a mile optional claimer by a head. He had to run five wide there,
so the extra sixteenth in this one probably won’t matter to the five-year-old.
He earned a nice 116 BRIS Late Pace rating for that win and has been
working well over the course of late. The Neil Drysdale runner will be hard to
deny in the stretch and could make it two in a row under Corey Nakatani.

JUST WONDER (GB) (Hernando [Fr]) didn’t do so well in his 2005 bow last out,
running fifth in a Santa Anita allowance, but the five-year-old made up a lot of
ground in the closing yards. He earned a nice 119 Late Pace figure and probably
needed that race off an eight-month vacation. The bay could move forward in a big
way here for trainer Laura de Seroux.

FAIL ME NOT (Arg) (Handsome Halo) will return to the turf after trying the
dirt in an optional claimer last out. Though he earned a 104 Speed rating for
his runner-up effort in that one, the chestnut six-year-old has of late
preferred the green, taking a stakes event by 3 1/2 lengths at Santa Anita. He
could challenge in the exotics here. KING OF HAPPINESS (Spinning World) will be
making his six-year-old debut here off more than a six-month break, but has been
competitive against stakes company in the past and could grab part under Pat
Valenzuela.

MISTER ACPEN (Chi) (Golden Voyager) is tops in this field for Speed figures,
but hasn’t been seen in competition since a distant finish in the 2003 Hong Kong
Mile (HK-G1). We can’t recommend. CAPITANO (Belong to Me) doesn’t look fast
enough to keep up here and hasn’t done so well in three tries on the grass.