Sheepshead Bay

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

E. P. Taylor S. (Can-G1) heroine HONEY RYDER (Lasting Approval) highlights a
field of eight distaffers in Saturday’s $150,000 Sheepshead Bay H. (G2) at
Belmont Park. The five-year-old Todd Pletcher trainee turned in an impressive four-length victory
when winning her second-consecutive Orchid H.
(G3) last out at Gulfstream Park over credible opponents. The five-year-old mare
earned a career-high BRIS Speed figure of 111 in that one, showing that she is
getting better with age, and we’ll go with the favorite to cross
the line first. Garrett Gomez will ride.

LATICE (Ire) (Inchinor [GB]) exits a nice victory against allowance
company, splitting foes and driving to the wire to win over Keeneland’s turf
course. The 2004 Prix de Diane-Hermes (Fr-G1) (French Oaks) heroine ran a solid
second to Honey Ryder in the E. P. Taylor three back and should be a threat with
Cornelio Velasquez aboard on Saturday.

ANGARA (GB) (Alzao) should improve in her second start for conditioner Bill
Mott. The last time we saw her, she finished sixth in the Beaugay H. (G3)
in her five-year-old debut. She has not performed up to par at Belmont, hitting
the board only once in five tries over the Elmont, New York, turf, so that
is a drawback here. Angara will be looking to improve from
last year’s Sheepshead Bay, when she was checked and shut off in upper stretch
while making a nice rally, still managing to garner second. Her explosive late kick always makes her dangerous,
and Edgar Prado has the
call.

ASI SIEMPRE (El Prado [Ire]) has proved successful since coming to the United States,
running second in the Garden City Breeders’ Cup S. (G1) off a three-month layoff
in her first North American start. She won her next two, including the Valley
View S. (G3), before running a solid second to Wend (Pulpit) in the Jenny Wiley
S. (G2) last
out. The four-year-old Patrick Biancone trainee is hot right
now and will retain the services of Julien Leparoux.

NOBLE STELLA (Ger) (Monsun) ran third in the Orchid two back, but came back
to score a nice wire-to-wire effort over Keeneland’s turf in the Bewitch S.
(G3) last time, earning a BRIS Late Pace rating of 113. She will face a tough
field, but is still possible for the exotics. HALF HEAVEN (Regal Classic) has
good late speed but might be hard pressed for the victory here.

TISKET A TASKET (Broad Brush) made a nice recovery after stumbling to annex
the Christiecat S. last out, but will be stepping up in class and might not have
what it takes to compete in this one. SERENDIPITOUS (Pleasant Tap) has not fared
well at this track in the past and we will exclude her from our wagering.