Pucker Up

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

ROMACACA (Running Stag) has been burning up the grass at Arlington Park of
late, taking her last three races by 12 1/4 lengths, and looks like the one to
beat in Monday’s $200,000 Pucker Up S. (G3) back over that green. The dark bay
filly is five-for-five on the turf, and easily won her only stakes tries to date
in the Diamond Ring S. and Hatoof S. in her past two. The sophomore lass earned
a field-best turf BRIS Speed rating of 102 for the Diamond Ring, and keeps the
hot-riding E.T. Baird in the saddle for her graded bow.

PEACH BREW (Milwaukee Brew) has yet to win on the turf, but could rectify
that situation here. The Donnie Von Hemel trainee was second in her turf bow in
the Cimarron S. last season, and was a close seventh, just 2 3/4 lengths back of
the winner, in the American One Thousand Guineas in May. The dark bay miss
captured the Arlington Oaks (G3) on the Polytrack last out while going the
Pucker Up distance of nine furlongs, and could continue her forward momentum
here with Quincy Hamilton.

HOT CHA CHA (Cactus Ridge) was third in the grassy Regret S. (G3) at
Churchill in mid-June, then returned to Polytrack to fill that same
spot in the Arlington Oaks last out. The Grade 3-winning lass appears to prefer
synthetic tracks to turf, but has comparable grass ability with others in this
field. The Philip Sims charge could add yet another graded score to her resume.
James Graham takes over the mount.

C. S. SILK (Medaglia d’Oro) captured last year’s Arlington-Washington Lassie
S. (G3), but her only nice-looking effort since then came as a win over allowance
runners on the turf at Churchill two back. When switched back to the main
track for the Arlington Oaks, the Dale Romans-trained sophomore ran fifth after
leading through more than six furlongs. C. S. Silk could show much more while returning
to the turf and should be considered a possible win candidate.

EMBERS GLOWING (Woodman) will be making her stakes bow in this one off three
straight victories, the latter two of which came on the turf. The Bill Bradley
runner earned a 98 BRIS Late Pace figure for her grass debut two back on soft
going, and she could add some value to the top three at 30-1 on the morning
line. HAMEILDAEME (GB) (Storming Home [GB]) was third in the San Clemente H.
(G2) and fourth in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) in her past two at long odds, and could
show up in the bottom of the gimmicks yet again. Unfortunately, the dark bay is
listed at 9-2 on the morning line, so she won’t offer much value.

KISS MINE (Mineshaft) was third in the Ellis Park Turf two back and might
earn a share, but we don’t think she’ll do much more than that. PRYTANIA (Royal
Academy) captured a turf allowance at Keeneland in April, but hasn’t been able
to threaten since. We’ll take a pass. NAPOLEON’S RETREAT (Street Cry [Ire]) has
been competing mostly against state-bred rivals and probably will find this bunch too
much too handle. SINGLE SOLUTION (Flatter), HUSTLE (Greatness) and BILL’S
PRESENCE (During) just don’t look fast enough to challenge.