Athenia

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

CRIMINOLOGIST (Maria's Mon) appears to be the class of Saturday's $100,000

Athenia H. (G3) at Belmont Park, and we can't pick against the Shug McGaughey

charge. The gray mare won this 8 1/2-furlong turf test last year by 4 1/2

lengths, then added the Cardinal H. (G3) to her line next out. So far this

season the five-year-old has earned scores in the Beaugay H. (G3) and, most

recently, Noble Damsel H. (G3), and she brings a 5-0-0 record from six tries at

1 1/16 miles. Criminologist could make it two in a row under Edgar Prado.

WAQUOIT'S LOVE (Not For Love) moved up from scoring in allowances to try

stakes company earlier this year, and has done well without winning yet. She

just missed by three parts of a length when fourth (later promoted to third) in the Suwannee River H. (G3)

in her initial black-type try, then ran second by a head in the Caress S. The

Tim Hills-trained five-year-old recently traveled to Saratoga and once again

finished fourth, just 1 1/2 lengths back, in the Old Red S., then led nearly all

the way home in the Noble Damsel last out, coming up a head shy on the wire. The

gray mare will be looking to turn the tables on Criminologist for that defeat,

and could break through with a first stakes victory here with Cornelio Velasquez

aboard.

MARIE ROSSA (GB) (Testa Rossa) captured her U.S. debut on Independence Day,

but hasn't been able to find the winner's circle in two starts since. She was a

rallying fourth in a division of the Revidere S. at Monmouth Park most recently. The Graham Motion trainee

could jump up at the right moment and offer some value with Mike Luzzi holding

the reins.

OH DEANNE O (Dynaformer) ran just a nose back in that same Revidere division last out

following a two-month break. The dark bay lass wired an allowance/optional

claimer field before her time off, and scored in her only try over Belmont's

turf last September. She could threaten in the top three under Joe Bravo.

CLASSIC NEEL (El Corredor) hasn't done so well in two starts since returning

from a 10-month layoff, but could show more in her third try off the shelf for Richard Violette Jr.

She was a contender against stakes rivals before her

vacation, for former conditioner Kiaran McLaughlin, and just needs a return to that form to grab a piece of this one.

SUNSHINE FOR LIFE (Giant's Causeway) will be making her stakes debut here

after wiring an allowance/optional claiming field at Saratoga. She might earn a

check. SOCIAL QUEEN (Dynaformer) won the Eatontown S. (G3) earlier this year,

but has tailed off a bit since that one. We'll let her beat us. French listed

winner CRITICISM (GB) (Machiavellian) will be making her U.S. bow off a 10-month

layoff in the Athenia, so we'll just watch to see how she fits at this level.