Apple Blossom J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Take ZENYATTA (Street Cry [Ire]) out of the mix and Friday's $500,000 Apple

Blossom (G1) turns into a pretty contentious affair. However, dual champion

Zenyatta should find this one of her easier tasks as the 1 1/8-mile test drew

just five horses. Though the John Shirreffs trainee will be making only her

second start on a conventional dirt track, the six-year-old mare's other try came in this same event over Oaklawn Park's main track in 2008. She romped

by 4 1/2 lengths on that day over then reigning champion older mare Ginger Punch

and will face nowhere near that type of talent on Friday. All regular rider Mike

Smith should have to do is stay in the saddle.

The remaining four entrants in the Apple Blossom are pretty evenly matched,

but we're tabbing BE FAIR (Exchange Rate) to end up best of the rest. The D.

Wayne Lukas runner owns three wins from five tries over the track, breaking her

maiden and taking an allowance/optional claimer in her first two career races.

She suffered her first loss, and her only off-the-board placing at Oaklawn, when

fourth in last year's Honeybee S. (G3), but recently returned to the Hot

Springs, Arkansas, oval to finish third in the Pippin S. prior to capturing an

allowance event last out. The dark bay four-year-old is no stranger to the

nine-furlong distance either, adding an easy four-length score in Saratoga's

off-the-turf Lake George S. (G3) to her resume last July. Be Fair will have

Calvin Borel aboard and the pair should pick up the place money.

JUST JENDA (Menifee) is also familiar with the winner's circle at Oaklawn.

The chestnut filly was the winner of the Honeybee last season and ran third in

the Fantasy S. (G2) over the track, and she would go on to add dominant wins in the Serena's Song S. and Monmouth Oaks (G3) to

her line when running at Monmouth Park. The Cindy Jones-trained four-year-old ran

fourth most recently in the Azeri S. (G3) while making her 2010 debut and should

show much more in her second start off a 4 1/2-month break. Terry Thompson has

the call.

WAR ECHO (Tapit) made her Oaklawn debut in the Azeri last out, suffering

traffic problems before finishing a lackluster fifth. The four-year-old is

capable of showing much more and might have needed that last one to acclimate

herself. Her numbers are on par with everyone but Zenyatta, and the Steve

Asmussen charge could threaten in the exotics. Regular rider Shaun Bridgmohan

will be in the saddle.

TAPTAM (Pleasant Tap) captured the Pippin S. and an allowance in her first

two races of the year, but retreated when a well-beaten last of nine in the

Azeri last out. The Bret Calhoun-conditioned five-year-old has shown a tendency

to run a couple of big races before throwing in a clunker, and should be ready

for another big run on Friday based on that scenario. However, we just can't

endorse off such inconsistency and will let her beat us under Cliff Berry.