Mineshaft

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A field of 10 is set to line up in Saturday’s $100,000 Mineshaft H. (G3) at
Fair Grounds, and the 1 1/16-mile event features the four-year-old bow of
POLLARD’S VISION (Carson City). The dark bay colt has been off since a
half-length victory in the October 29 Lone Star Derby (G3), where he earned a
104 BRIS Speed rating and 107 BRIS Late Pace figure. Pollard’s Vision
consistently posts triple-digit numbers and has experience over the track,
finishing third in the Louisiana Derby (G2) last year while preparing for the
Triple Crown. John Velazquez and Todd Pletcher have combined to post a 26
percent win rate of late and we think Pollard’s Vision will better that
percentage while making his seasonal debut a winning one.

Considering our top pick will probably go off at short odds, we’re going with
WANDERIN BOY (Seeking the Gold) to complete the exacta at a nice price. The Nick
Zito trainee has only raced three times during his career, but has displayed
talent in each of those starts. He broke his maiden at first asking during
Keeneland’s fall meet, then tried allowance rivals for the first time at
Churchill Downs in November, finishing second. The chestnut four-year-old made
his 2005 debut at Gulfstream Park, taking an allowance by 3 1/2 lengths and
earning a 102 Speed figure for his effort. Wanderin Boy is listed at 12-1 on the
morning line, but could surprise here with a win under Larry Melancon.

Much has been expected of ALUMNI HALL (A.P. Indy) from the beginning because
of his breeding (full-brother to Kentucky Oaks [G1] winner Secret Status). He
didn’t make his career debut until he was a five-year-old last year, but showed
promise, breaking his maiden and then taking three of his next four
races, including the Black Tie Affair H. The Neil Howard-trained chestnut then
tailed off a bit toward the end of the season but proved he’s still a force to
be reckoned with when making his seasonal bow last out in the Maxxam Gold Cup H.
Alumni Hall took the lead after the half-mile point in that test and withstood
challenges from two different rivals to earn the three-quarter-of-a-length
victory and a 115 Late Pace rating. He’ll have Robby Albarado in the saddle on
Saturday and could come with another late run to finally break through in the
graded ranks.

COLONIAL COLONY (Pleasant Colony) was one of those Alumni Hall had to repel
in the Maxxam Gold Cup. The Dallas Stewart-conditioned seven-year-old came four
wide with his challenge but could never quite get to the winner in that one. A
Grade 1 winner last year, the dark bay lost some of his form during the fall,
but seems to have found new life and could threaten in the top three for the
win. SKIPASLEW (Skip Away) earned some of the best numbers of his career in his
past two. The Doug O’Neill charge, winner of last year’s Golden Gate Derby (G3),
made his four-year-old bow in the San Fernando Breeders Cup S. (G2) last out and
dueled throughout that 8 1/2-furlong test before tiring at the end and finishing
third. He still managed to post a 101 Speed rating and also garnered a 111 BRIS
E2 Pace figure for his nice run. Anything close to that same effort could earn
the chestnut a place in the exotics here.

GIGAWATT (Wild Again) defeated both Alumni Hall and Colonial Colony in his
final race as a four-year-old, the Louisiana H., and earned some nice numbers
for that score. A former claimer, the now Steve Flint-trained dark bay worked a
bullet five furlongs last Friday in 1:00 2/5 and could forget to stop if he gets
away with another uncontested lead. GOLDEN GLEN (Forestry) doesn’t own quite the
same numbers as others in here, but the chestnut owns the speed to grab part.

BRITT’S JULES (Jules) looked like a tough rival during the fall, but lost
some of that luster as the winter settled in. The gray four-year-old finished a
non-threatening eighth in his 2005 debut and will need to show much more to
challenge against these. FORMAL ATTIRE (Formal Gold) has finished far back when
facing graded competition in the past and we don’t think he’ll improve much
here. FIBER OPTIC (Caller I. D.) looks out of his class against these.