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TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS
Only five will line up in Monday's $150,000 Palomar H. (G2) at Del Mar, and the 1 1/16-mile turf test will renew a rivalry between GOTTA HAVE HER (Royal Academy) and LILLY FA POOTZ (Gilded Time) that began last out in the John C. Mabee S. (G2). In that nine-furlong affair, Lilly Fa Pootz just missed the win by a nose while holding Gotta Have Her to third by a half-length, but we think the latter mare will have her revenge while successfully defending her title in this event. Gotta Have Her scored in last year's Palomar by a neck following a runner-up effort in the Mabee (G1). She earned a 98 BRIS Speed rating for the effort, and improved on that when scoring in the Senator Ken Maddy H. (G3) next out to post a 101 Speed figure. The bay mare continued to progress while taking on the boys in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint to round out her five-year-old campaign, rallying to finish second by 1 3/4 lengths while garnering a 111 BRIS Late Pace rating and 103 Speed number. Trainer Jenine Sahadi gave her charge a well-deserved five-month break, not bringing Gotta Have Her back until April 11, when she recorded a third-place run in the Las Cienegas H. (G3). The mare then suffered her worse finish from her last 10 starts when filling the sixth spot after a bobbling start in the Gamely S. (G1) in late May. She quickly got back on the winning track two back in the Royal Heroine Mile (G2), and should be primed for a return to the winner's circle. Mike Smith took over from injured regular rider Tyler Baze last out and retains the mount here. Lilly Fa Pootz owns a near identical lifetime record as Gotta Have Her, but has raced much more this season than her rival. The Jerry Hollendorfer pupil has faced the starter 10 times thus far, taking the Osunitas S. over the course prior to her Mabee second. The dark bay mare actually made her stakes bow in the Osunitas following a career that's seen her go against claiming rivals more often than not. Lilly Fa Pootz put paid to the idea she might not belong at this level with her Mabee run, and has displayed the ability to both rate behind and stalk the early pace. She has every shot to earn her first graded win here under the hot-riding Joel Rosario. The Palomar really looks to be decided between Gotta Have Her and Lilly Fa Pootz, and that leaves YOU LIFT ME UP (Lord Carson) as best of the rest. The uncoupled Hollendorfer runner took an allowance at Santa Anita in early March and was second by a nose in the Luther Burbank H. two back. The five-year-old was unable to defend her title in the Solana Beach H. last out after a stumbling start, finishing fourth by 1 1/2 lengths, and could offer some redemption for that effort by filling out the exotics here. Patrick Valenzuela aboard certainly helps her chances. GO FORTH NORTH (North Light [Ire]) posted a dead-heat win in the Sandy Blue H. going a mile last out but might not be fast enough to challenge here. PRYTANIA (Royal Academy) was claimed just two back by John Sadler and returned on August 11 to capture an allowance/optional claimer while in for a tag. This is a good spot to pick up some graded credit, but the bay four-year-old just doesn't appear in the same class as our top three.
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