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AMERICAN GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS
A smart field of eight, led by multiple Grade 2 star SMOOTH AIR (Smooth Jazz), will contest Saturday's $250,000 Salvator Mile H. (G3) at Monmouth Park. Transferred to the barn of Chad Brown in advance of this start, Smooth Air has finished worse than third just once, and that came on Pro-Ride in the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) last fall. The four-year-old colt just missed in a fine runner-up showing in the Metropolitan H. (G1) most recently, the Florida-bred is a Grade 2 winner at this distance and he possesses the tactical speed to be placed virtually anywhere throughout the race. The likely favorite looks imposing. Brazilian Group 1 star RUNFORTHEDOE (Brz) (Our Emblem) exits an even sixth, beaten just four lengths, in the Metropolitan last out for Paulo Lobo, and the colt looks like a big threat in here. The lightly raced four-year-old has run considerably well versus top company since arriving in the United States, and it's safe to say that his preferred ground is dirt. Richard Migliore will be in the irons atop the win candidate. Godolphin Mile S. (UAE-G2) star TWO STEP SALSA (Petionville) is among the best milers around when he's right, and the Godolphin colt could be primed for a huge showing in his second start since arriving from Dubai. The Saeed Bin Suroor trainee has landed in a spot with a plethora of early speed, which could be to his detriment, but Garrett Gomez stays aboard and the colt's natural ability should find him with a huge chance late. The hard-trying KISS THE KID (Lemon Drop Kid) was a solid third in the Philip Iselin H. (G3) over this oval in 2008 and is a dual winner at Monmouth Park for trainer Amy Tarrant. The consistent six-year-old has a bit of class to him, and while he's raced exclusively on the sod in his last seven races, his form is good and he's very versatile. Channing Hill will guide the top-three threat. We have come to like THE ROUNDHOUSE (Fusaichi Pegasus) and his late-running style for Todd Pletcher. We won't be backing him to win, but we'll surely toss him in some of our vertical gimmicks. The chestnut has faced graded foes on five occasions, placing in three of them. If the early tempo is brutal, this one should be rolling late. SOLAR FLARE (Arg) (Salt Lake) "freaked" when rolling home in the Frisk Me Now S. last out over this strip, registering a whopping 109 BRIS Speed figure in the process. The Larry Jones-trained five-year-old is Grade 1-placed in the United States, but he's been a work in progress who has put in more subpar efforts than top ones. We will reluctantly leave him off our of tickets in this spot due to his lack of consistency. COAL PLAY (Mineshaft) has enjoyed his greatest successes at this locale and enters off of a big allowance prep win for the ever-dangerous Nick Zito. Second in the Haskell Invitational H. (G1) last year, the speedy bay is a cut below the best in here but is capable on his best day to run a big one. KEEP LAUGHING (Distorted Humor) has ability, but his connections were probably not excited when they saw how deep this race came up. The dark bay would need major improvement to factor in this one.
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