Asi Siempre eyes De La Rose

Valley View S. (G3) queen ASI SIEMPRE (El Prado [Ire]) has been installed as the

3-1 morning-line favorite for Wednesday's $70,000 De La Rose S. at Saratoga. The

Patrick Biancone trainee began the year with a close second to Wend (Pulpit) in

the Jenny Wiley S. (G2) at Keeneland and most recently finished fourth to Noble

Stella (Ger) (Monsun) and Angara (GB) (Alzao) in the New York Breeders' Cup H.

(G2) at Belmont Park. Asi Siempre, who will be ridden by Julien Leparoux, should

be hard to deny in the De La Rose, which will be decided at one mile on the

inner turf course.

Other contenders in the De La Rose, which for the first time in its

three-year history was not split into two divisions, include Noble Damsel H.

(G3) victress BRIGHT ABUNDANCE (Quiet American), who finished second to Melhor

Ainda (Pulpit) in the Capades S. at Belmont Park in her last start, as well as stakes winners STORMINA (Gulch), MY LORDSHIP (Lord Avie) and ART FAN (Lear Fan).

The field, in post position order, with jockeys, weights and morning line

odds, consists of VIRDEN (Tactical Cat), Rafael Bejarano, 119, 6-1; Bright

Abundance, Richard Migliore, 119, 7-2; ANEGADA (Arch), Mike

Smith, 119, 20-1; Art Fan, Michael Luzzi, 119, 12-1; Asi Siempre, 117; MISS

MATCHED (Formal Gold), Kent Desormeaux, 119, 30-1; RADIANT AVIE (Lord Avie),

Shaun Bridgmohan, 124, 20-1; Stormina, John Velazquez, 124, 9-2; CONNIE BELLE

(Storm Cat), Fernando Jara, 117, 12-1; and My Lordship, Cornelio Velasquez, 124,

5-1.

On the also-eligible list are MOONSHINE GAL (Forest Wildcat), Jose Santos,

117, 15-1; and SKY HIGH FLYER (GB) (Anabaa), Edgar Prado, 117, 8-1.