Railbird

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

The Bob Baffert-trained INSPIRING (Golden Missile) heads a field of eight

sophomore fillies in the $100,000 Railbird S. (G3) at Hollywood Park on Sunday.

The chestnut broke her maiden going five-eighths over the Inglewood, California,

oval last summer, recording a huge BRIS Speed rating of 104 in the process. She

came back to win the 6 1/2-furlong Sorrento S. (G3) in her second lifetime

start, then took the winter off and returned in the April 2 Santa Paula S. at

Santa Anita, finishing a solid third after pressing the pace for much of the

way. Inspiring blitzed a half-mile in :46 3/5 on April 27 and appears sharp for

this seven-furlong contest with David Flores returning to the irons.

SHORT ROUTE (Mud Route) owns a stakes win at seven furlongs, annexing the

Cover Gal S. last fall as a juvenile. The Joe Herrick trainee also has

experience at Hollywood, finishing just a half-length back in the Moccasin S., a

race run at the Railbird distance, two starts back. The chestnut failed to fire

in the stretch run of her seasonal bow, the Sunshine Millions Oaks, but may have

needed that start and we like her chances here and will use her in all levels

of the gimmicks.

Bruce Headley will saddle DONNA'S DOLL (Pleasant Tap) for the Railbird off a

sharp maiden score at Santa Anita. The bay won going away in that 6 1/2-furlong

test and is a serious contender to get up for part. We'll have her completing

the trifecta.

ISLAND ESCAPE (Petionville) has been more successful at shorter distances,

taking the 6 1/2-furlong Cactus Cup H., but also finished second by a nose in the

one-mile Corte Madera S. The bay wants nothing beyond eight furlongs, as she has

finished no better than third in three tries at 1 1/16 miles. We'll have the

classy Marcelo Polanco trainee in the bottom of the exotics.

GOOD LORD LAURIE (Truckee) won by eight lengths last out and could steal it

on the front end. The bay easily rates our longshot special. CONVEYOR'S ANGEL

(Conveyor) is Grade 3 placed on the turf but switches back to the dirt here and

we can't endorse her chances.

Baffert also has PEGASUS ROSE (Fusaichi Pegasus) in the Railbird as part

of an uncoupled entry and the dark bay should enjoy the shortening in distance

after finishing fifth in the WinStar/Sunland Park Oaks last out. Pegasus Rose is

a talented filly but we'll have to give her a race against this level of

competition. OFF THE RICHTER (Richter Scale) enters off two wins in a row but

appears

a level below these and we'll have to go against.