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KEENELAND DAILY NOTEBOOK SUNDAY, APRIL 13, 2008 by Brian P. Turner Sunday's featured stakes offering was the Shakertown S. (G3) for three-year-olds and up going 5 1/2 furlongs on the grass. A field of 11 went to the gate, with Smart Enough (Horse Chestnut [SAf]) being sent off by the betting public as the favorite. Though the chestnut was making his first start of the year, he is definitely a sprint specialist as he had hit the board in all 10 of the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprints he has competed in, including winning eight of them. The betting public obviously felt that despite the long vacation that he would still be tough to beat. In the end though, it was long shot MR. NIGHTLINGER (Indian Charlie) who took the lead out of the gate and never surrendered it all the way to the finish line as he crossed the wire 1 3/4 lengths in front. The four-year-old colt was making just his second start on the lawn, but he carried the speed he had shown sprinting on the dirt in the past over to the grass and was extremely impressive in victory here. Smart Enough was not without an excuse today as he was forced to check on the backstretch. The gelding did move up to challenge in the stretch drive but could not run down the pacesetter and was forced to settle for second, 2 1/4 lengths in front of Fort Prado (El Prado [Ire]) in third. There were four routes contested over the Polytrack Sunday with horses on or near the pace winning two and closers winning two. As for the three sprints, horses on or near the pace won all of them. In addition to the Shakertown, there was one additional turf route contested on the day, which was won by a runner close to the early pace. Kent Desormeaux added another win to his total today and still leads the way in the jockey standings with 13 for the meet. Jamie Theriot booted home Mr. Nightlinger in the feature, which gives him sole possession of the second spot with nine. Garrett Gomez is in third with eight. Bill Mott's lone runner on the day visited the winner's circle, which gives him the lead over Todd Pletcher in the trainer standings by a score of six to five. No one put together all the pieces of the puzzle again today in the Pick 6, which leaves a record carryover going into Wednesday's card of $307,049. Horses to Watch 1ST - WATZ HIS NAME (Skip Away) reeled off his third win in a row in this low-level claiming event. The four-year-old gelding was content to lay off the pace early through opening fractions of :24 and :47 3/5 before taking command in the stretch drive and leaving the field in his dust on his way to an easy 5 1/2-length victory. The dark bay was claimed out of this event and will be making his next start for the always dangerous Cody Autry. 3RD - M V P GRAND (Grand Slam) found the class drop to be exactly what he needed to get back into the winner's circle in this claiming event. The dark bay broke his maiden impressively against claiming company in his career debut before failing dismally against allowance company. The three-year-old colt got back on track here, though, as he stalked the pace early through opening fractions of :22 4/5 and :46 2/5 before taking command in the stretch drive on his way to an easy 5 1/2-length victory. Outlook for Wednesday, April 16 Wednesday's feature is the Appalachian S. (G3) for three-year-old fillies going eight furlongs on the grass. A field of 12, including two also-eligibles, is set to go to the gate. As has been the case for the majority of the stakes offerings thus far for the meet, this is a wide open event so insist on value before wagering. SWEEPSTAKE (Ire) (Acclamation [GB]) absolutely dominated last out in the Bedanken S. at Fair Grounds where she took the lead out of the gate and never looked back on her way to an easy six-length victory. The bay showed in her starts in Europe that she doesn't have to be on the lead early to make it into the winner's circle and her versatility should allow her to be well-placed through the opening stages of the race regardless of the pace scenario. I LOST MY CHOO (Western Expression) will be looking for her fourth win on the grass in a row, and in two of her prior victories she had to overcome troubled trips to make it into the winner's circle. This will be the New York-bred's first attempt against stakes company, but she has been extremely impressive in clearing her conditions. The bay may need a bit of pace to set up her late kick but if she gets that then she is more than capable of picking up her first stakes victory. ABSOLUTELY CINDY (Arch) pulled off a shocker a couple of starts back when she rallied from 21 lengths off the early pace to defeat the boys in the John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway. The three-year-old filly has yet to finish off-the-board in any of her four starts on the grass and stands a solid chance here if she rebounds off her lackluster effort in the Ashland S. (G1) last out. MUCH OBLIGED (Kingmambo) reeled off two impressive wins in a row on the grass at Fair Grounds, including a 6 1/4-length maiden score and a 4 3/4-length victory against allowance/optional claiming company. This will be the bay's toughest test to date, but if she handles the jump in class she, too, looms a threat. LICKETY LEMON (Lemon Drop Kid) disappointed in her 2008 debut as she finished fourth, beaten by seven lengths, in the aforementioned Bedanken. The three-year-old filly ended her campaign here last year in the Jessamine S. and if she regains her old form, she looms a solid threat here. NAMASTE'S WISH (Pulpit) will be making her first start of the year but has been working well for her return to the track. The bay won the Miss Grillo S. on the grass at Belmont last year and, given that she has the red hot tandem of Mott and Desormeaux in her corner, she too stands a solid chance. ALWAJEEHA (Dixieland Band) has been facing some very tough company in Florida, including a second-place effort in the Tropical Park Oaks. The bay has run well in all four of her starts on the grass and is another capable of bringing home the victory. MAGGER BAGS (Indian Charlie) finished second in the Bedanken last out and easily defeated an allowance field in her start prior. The dark bay fits in well against this group with any improvement at all. FASHION ROCKS (Ire) (Rock of Gibraltar [Ire]) enters the race as a bit of an unknown due to the fact that she will be making her first North American start. The bay has been running well across the pond, though, and deserves respect. VANCY PANTS (Van Nistelrooy) has a tendency to be a bit inconsistent and has yet to make it into the winner's circle in three starts on the grass. FAREENA (Point Given) and MRS PETOSKI (Orientate) are the two that are also eligible but both appear to be in a bit deep if they manage to draw in. Wednesday's forecast calls for sunny skies with highs in the mid-60s. Wednesday's Best Plays 6TH - CHITOZ (Forest Wildcat) will be returning to the grass after a lackluster effort last out in the Lane's End S. (G2) where he finished fifth, beaten by 6 3/4 lengths. The three-year-old colt has shown the ability to both stalk the pace and run on the lead, which should allow jockey John Velazquez to have him well-placed here regardless of the pace scenario on the lead. The bay is near the top of the field in BRIS Prime Power and his BRIS Speed ratings are on par with the best of this bunch. 7TH - VICTORIANNA (Tale of the Cat) is exiting a second-place effort in the Queen S., where she overcame a costly stumble at the start to miss by only three parts of a length. The four-year-old filly has never finished off-the-board in five starts over the Polytrack and, while she doesn't have to have the lead to be successful, she possesses a very nice early turn of foot. The chestnut is near the top of the field in BRIS Prime Power and a repeat of her best recent efforts definitely makes her a contender here.
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