Ben Ali

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Sunday's $150,000 Ben Ali S. (G3) attracted past Blue Grass S. (G1) winners

MONBA (Maria's Mon) and DOMINICAN (El Corredor), but we'll side with ADRIANO

(A.P. Indy), who will make his first appearance over a synthetic track since

capturing last year's Lane's End S. (G2).

Adriano turned in a superb showing over Turfway Park's Polytrack, earning a

career-best 101 BRIS Speed rating for his 2 1/2-length score in the

aforementioned Lane's End, and he went on to show his class on the turf last

season, winning the Kent S. (G3) at Delaware Park and recording a close fourth

in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. (G2) at Saratoga following a

troubled trip. He'll make his first start since a narrow fourth in the grassy

Hawthorne Derby (G3) in October, but trainer Bill Mott excels off layoffs,

winning at a 23 percent clip. The Hall of Fame trainer is enjoying a solid Keeneland meet, and Adriano has a good four-furlong work over the track. He'll

get the hot-riding Julien Leparoux in the saddle, and the chestnut colt figures

to get overlooked in the wagering off the layoff. We believe Adriano can prove

very successful at four this season, and he should be forwardly placed off a

slow pace before offering his best in this 1 1/8-mile affair.

Monba outkicked Cowboy Cal (Giant's Causeway) by a neck to win last year's

Blue Grass and appeared set for a successful three-year-old season afterward,

but he struggled over the dirt in the Kentucky Derby (G1), finishing last of 20, and

wasn't seen again under silks until this February. Following a solid third in

the Thunder Road H. (G3), the Todd Pletcher trainee rallied for fourth-place

honors in the Santa Anita H. (G1), and the gray colt will make his third start

off the layoff here. We wouldn't discourage anybody from using Monba on top in

any wager, but he hasn't shown much speed in his two starts this year. We're

worried that he could leave himself a little too much to do from off the pace.

Dominican likes the Keeneland main track, winning the 2007 Blue Grass over

subsequent Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and finishing second in October's

Fayette S. (G3), and the five-year-old gelding shows a five-furlong bullet work

over the Polytrack on April 8. Edgar Prado will pick up the mount for trainer

Darrin Miller, but the late-running chestnut is too inconsistent for us to back

on the top spot in any exotics. We'll use him on the bottom only.

Defending Ben Ali champion STERWINS (Runaway Groom) also merits consideration

for part. Trained by Malcolm Pierce, the Canadian-bred gelding has been training

well over the Keeneland strip in preparation for this start and received a

useful tightener when second in a Fair Grounds allowance/optional claimer last

time in his 2009 bow. He rolled to a 3 1/4-length victory 12 months ago, but the

six-year-old never received a challenge from runner-up Go Between and

will face a deeper cast this year.

PARADING (Pulpit) just missed in a turf allowance at Keeneland earlier this

meet, and the Shug McGaughey runner is very honest, finishing in the money in

five of his last six starts. We can't recommend his chances here, but we won't

be surprised to see him run well.

GRASSHOPPER (Dixie Union) finished second in his career bow over Keeneland's

Polytrack, but the Grade 3 winner doesn't bring sharp form into this event,

recording a pair of seventh-place finishes in his two starts this season. YOUR

ROUND (Distorted Humor) is winless in five previous attempts over an all-weather

track and may find these rivals too difficult for him.