A repeat in store for Criticism in Long Island

Darley homebred CRITICISM (GB) (Machiavellian) will be an overwhelming favorite to repeat in Sunday's $150,000 Long Island H. (G3) at Aqueduct, a race that provided the five-year-old with her first victory in the United States a year ago at odds of 4-1.

Despite the fact she is side-stepping next week's Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1), the Tom Albertrani mare established herself as one of the leading members of the division in the east this season with scores in the Sheepshead Bay S. (G2), La Prevoyante H. (G2) and The Very One S. (G3), as well as placings in the Flower Bowl Invitational (G1) last time and the Orchid S. (G3) earlier in the year.

Criticism pressed from second through a ridiculously slow pace in the Flower Bowl, contested on very soft ground. An overlaid 10-1 following a lackluster attempt in the Diana S. (G1), the bay opened up in the stretch to lead by 1 1/2 lengths, but could not fend off the late charge of Breeders' Cup candidate Pure Clan (Pure Prize). On paper, the 1 1/2-mile Long Island should be ripe for the taking with Javier Castellano back aboard.

QUEEN OF HEARTS (Thunder Gulch), a surprising third in the Flower Bowl at 27-1, finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Criticism at the finish. The lightly-raced four-year-old won her stakes debut at Saratoga in early August before consecutive thirds in the Glens Falls H. (G3) and Flower Bowl. Another Glens Falls alumnus, runner-up LEMONETTE (Lemon Drop Kid), starts for the same owner/trainer combo that upset last week's Raven Run S. (G2) with Satans Quick Chick (Sky Mesa). Winner of a minor stakes at Arlington over the summer, Lemonette was a non-threatening seventh in the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) last time.

BUBBLY JANE (Brz) (Yagli), a multiple Group 1 winner in her native Brazil, has won two of three starts in the United States, with scores in the Donor S. and Possible Mate S. book-ending a fifth in the Glens Falls. DANCE PASS (Ire) (Sadler's Wells), who invades from Ireland for Dermot Weld, does not look imposing on paper with two minor stakes-placings and eligibility for a first-level allowance. She does, however, get Lasix for the first time and will be ridden by New York's leading jockey Ramon Dominguez.

Sunday's program also features the $65,000 Poker Night S. over seven furlongs, the comeback race for YES SHE'S A LADY (Yes It's True), who romped by 10 lengths when taking the May 13 Deceit S. across town at Belmont Park. The evenly-matched group of three-year-old fillies also includes stakes winners LADY ALEXANDER (Exchange Rate) and LOVE THAT DANCE (Not for Love), the uncoupled Bob Baffert-trained duo of UNDERGROUND (Indian Charlie) and MOTHER RUTH (Speightstown), as well as the promising stakes-placers NOISY FEET (Tapit) and CUVEE UNCORKED (Cuvee).