La Troienne

Nine sophomore fillies are set to go 7 1/2 furlongs on Saturday in the
$100,000 La Troienne S. (G3) at Churchill Downs, and ADIEU (El Corredor) will be
making her 2006 bow off more than a six-month break. The Grade 1-winning bay
miss deserves her morning-line favorite status based on her past form, but we’ll
try to beat her in her return.

SMART N PRETTY (Elusive Quality) proved her preference for the shorter
distances after lengthening out to nine furlongs in the Bonnie Miss S. (G2) two
back. She finished fourth that day, 14 lengths back of the winner, and then cut
back in an about seven-furlong allowance on Keeneland’s Beard Course, scoring by a length
while earning a 97 BRIS Speed rating. Her only other win also came at a sprint
distance and over the Churchill dirt. The Dale Romans-trained bay filly could
show up on top here with Rene Douglas aboard.

Adieu captured the Frizette S. (G1) and Spinaway S. (G2) last year before
moving up to the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), fading to
seventh while running three wide. She’s been working well in the interim for
trainer Todd Pletcher, most recently getting five furlongs in 1:00 on
Churchill’s dirt, and owns the BRIS E1 and E2 Pace numbers to get the job done
here. Rafael Bejarano has the call on the sophomore lass, who has won off a
layoff in the past.

LAKE ALICE (Mt. Livermore) returned to the dirt last out after running fifth
in her turf debut two back in the Herecomesthebride S.
(G3). In her last one, the James Chapman charge posted a 100 Speed figure as
well as a 107 E2 Pace rating for her nice second in the Beaumont S. (G2) on
Keeneland’s Beard Course. The chestnut filly has always been competitive against
stakes rivals in the past and got a nice four furlongs in :48 over the track in
preparation for this one. She could challenge for it all in the top three.

SWEET BELLE (Deputy Commander) easily broke her maiden at a mile then
captured an allowance going the same distance before going up against one of the
top fillies in her division, Balance (Thunder Gulch), in the Santa Anita Oaks
(G1) last out. She could do no better than sixth in that 8 1/2-furlong test, and
might show up in the exotics while returning to a shorter distance here. MORNER
(Broken Vow) is still a maiden winner after finishing in the top three in the
Instant Racing Breeders’ Cup S. and Honeybee S. in her past two. The dark bay
miss has earned some nice numbers since taking her first win and could make a
run for the gimmicks.

JOINT EFFORT (Runaway Groom) captured the Sunshine Millions Oaks in her first
race back this year, but hasn’t been able to repeat that form since. She could
rebound here, so include in the bottom of the exotics. BEHOLDEN (Cat Thief) will
be making her stakes debut here and could earn part under nice odds.

CLASSICAL RYDER (Brahms) has competed well on Turfway Park’s Polytrack, but
we’ll just watch to see how she handles real dirt before backing. TACTICAL
WARNING (Tactical Cat) looks out of her class against these.