E.P. Taylor, Nearctic come up contentious

Back from her midsummer break, Adventure Seeker broke through with an

up-in-time success in the Prix de Liancourt. The chestnut keeps Christophe

Soumillon aboard for her first Grade 1 tilt, and rates as a sleeper at 10-1. She

aims to win over the same course as her granddam, Hall of Famer All Along, who

took the Rothmans (now Canadian) International during her Horse of the Year

campaign in 1983.

Also shipping in from France is Dream Peace, the 3-1 morning-line favorite,

who is out of 1994 E.P. Taylor winner Truly a Dream. The Robert Collet filly has

been admirably consistent this season and enters off a career high in the Group

2 Prix de la Nonette. This is a stiffer test still for Dream Peace, who will

have Gerald Mosse back in the irons.

The well-traveled Mahbooba jets in for the ever-dangerous Mike de Kock. Bred

in Australia, she ranked as South Africa's champion two-year-old filly, and

turned in four strong performances in Dubai last winter. Mahbooba has continued

her campaign in England, where she just slammed males by six lengths in the

Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket. Jamie Spencer picks up the mount aboard the

top-class bay, who could be bound for the Hong Kong International Day program.

Laughing, a half-sister to former Hong Kong superstar Viva Pataca, will be

making only her fifth career start. The Charles O'Brien trainee has not raced

since just getting up in a five-way scrum in the June 9 Nijinsky Stakes at

Leopardstown. Then owned by Mrs. John Magnier, she has since been purchased by

Richard Santulli, and looks more like a traveling companion for Nearctic threat

Bewitched. English shipper Kinky Afro's only highlight this campaign was a third

to the smart Emulous and Lolly for Dolly in the Group 3 Ridgewood Pearl, and

she'd need to step up dramatically to factor.

Reigning Canadian champion turf female Miss Keller hasn't hit the board since

her runner-up finish in the 2010 E.P. Taylor. On the other hand, the Roger

Attfield mare has been closing well in her recent races and training sharply of

late, and could relish the opportunity to get back up to 1 1/4 miles. Her

stablemate Mekong Melody is likewise aiming to turn things around.

The lone American-based hopeful is Dyna Waltz from the Jonathan Sheppard

barn. Winless since taking last year's Oaks Trial at Lingfield, the Augustin

Stable homebred has garnered runner-up honors in the Grade 3 Gallorette

Handicap, Grade 3 All Along and the Omnibus in her latest. Julien Leparoux has

the riding assignment.

Although the Europeans have fewer guns in the Nearctic, one of them is the

3-1 morning-line favorite, Bated Breath. Trainer Roger Charlton has thought

quite a lot of this Juddmonte Farms homebred, and he's come agonizingly close in

a pair of Group 1 tests at home. Both times, Bated Breath was robbed late by

Dream Ahead, who dished out the same heartbreaking treatment to Goldikova last

time out in the Group 1 Prix de la Foret.

Finally getting away from his bete noire here, Bated Breath was handed post

11 in the 13-horse field. Gomez, who rides stablemate Sea of Heartbreak in the

E.P. Taylor, will try to improve his luck.

British invader Hitchens was third to Dream Ahead and Bated Breath in the

Group 1 July Cup, but only ninth behind the same pair in the Group 1 Haydock

Sprint Cup.

Regally Ready had won four in a row earlier this season for Steve Asmussen,

capped by the Grade 3 San Simeon Handicap and the Grade 3 Twin Spires Turf

Sprint. The gelding dropped his last two since returning from a summer holiday,

but would be a prime contender if back to his best.

Not to be overlooked are three with good form over this same course and

distance -- Signature Red and Fiddlers Patriot were separated by a nose in the

Grade 2 Highlander on Queen's Plate Day, and the filly Jenny's So Great overcame

traffic trouble to go last to first in the Grade 3 Royal North.