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TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS
Nine sophomore fillies will contest the six-furlong Miss Preakness S. (G3) at Pimlico on Friday, and we find it hard to go against morning-line favorite MADDALENA (Good and Tough). The Todd Pletcher trainee rebounded off a fifth-place finish two back with a one-length victory in the Legal Light S. She is a graded stakes winner at 6 1/2 furlongs, taking the February 5 Old Hat S. (G3), and has only lost once in five career starts. John Velazquez gets the call, and the chestnut easily rates our top selection. The Scott Lake-trained MISSILE BAY (Yes It's True) defeated one of her Miss Preakness rivals, PARTNER'S DUE (Partner's Hero), last time when taking the Xtra Heat S. The bay appears to be stepping up at the right time, and we'll have her in all positions in the gimmicks. HOT STORM (Stormy Atlantic) has finished third in her last three outings, all graded contests. This merits use in the exotics, but we'll have to let the Dallas Stewart trainee beat us for the win based on her inability to find the winner's circle at this level. FLOWERBUD (Cape Town) enters off an impressive allowance win, recording her first triple-digit BRIS Speed rating of 100. She steps up here, but perhaps not at the right time. We'll use the improving John Servis trainee in the bottom of our exotic tickets. If there is an off track on Friday, the Nick Zito-conditioned BURNISH (Menifee) could have a strong advantage. The bay absolutely freaked in the Keeneland slop last out, recording a huge Speed figure of 108 and hitting the wire 10 1/4 lengths clear of her nearest rival. Rafael Bejarano returns to ride, but despite the connections, we'll have to see some rain in Baltimore before we can endorse her chances for the win. Partner's Due was third in the Xtra Heat and has been impressive in her two starts this year, but we wouldn't be surprised to see her get up for part. HEAR US ROAR (Lion Hearted) has never raced outside of Baltimore, giving her a slight advantage in this one, and enters off a bullet :35 three-furlong work. She won the Selima S. over this surface, but could be slower than some of these. LOCH NESSIE (Meadow Monster) is taking a substantial class jump, so we'll go against. MISS LOMBARDI (Unbridled Jet) only owns a maiden win and this may be too much too soon.
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