Bing Crosby

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Seven sprinters will contest Sunday's $250,000 Bing Crosby S. (G1) over six

furlongs at Del Mar

and COST OF FREEDOM (Cee's Tizzy) will be seeking his third straight victory in

2010. The seven-year-old Grade 1 winner will look to lead wire-to-wire, but

he'll likely face pressure from the three-year-old SMILING TIGER (Hold That

Tiger), setting the race up for our top pick, E Z'S GENTLEMAN (Yankee

Gentleman).

Second by three parts of a length to Cost of Freedom in the six-furlong Los

Angeles H. (G3) two back, E Z's Gentleman proved too good for his rivals in the

seven-furlong Triple Bend (G1) last time, recording his first stakes victory

with a 3 1/4-length decision. The improving Bob Baffert five-year-old has

garnered BRIS Speed ratings of 106 and 104 in his last two starts and is

displaying an excellent turn of foot in the middle stages of his races,

registering triple-digit BRIS E2 Pace numbers in his last two outings. We'll

look for him to rally into contention on the far turn and seize control in the

stretch run beneath Martin Pedroza.

Cost of Freedom is very capable and strung together three straight wins in

2008, including the Ancient Title S. (G1). He returned from a lengthy layoff with a

fourth at Del Mar last year but missed by only a head when third in the

Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) two starts later. The John Sadler-trained gelding

appears to be training forwardly in preparation and could prove impossible to

catch.

Australian Horse of the Year SCENIC BLAST (Aus) (Scenic [Ire]) probably

needed his last start when making his U.S. bow in the Robert K. Kerlan Memorial

S., and the six-year-old gelding did offer a strong finishing kick in deep

stretch, winding up only 1 3/4 lengths back in fourth. He'll try a synthetic

track here for John Shirreffs and could make a late impact under Mike Smith if

he handles the transition. We'll use him on the bottom of the exotics.

Smiling Tiger defeated a nice rival in Concord Point (Tapit) in the Lazaro

Barrera Memorial S. (G3) last time and rates consideration for the top three in

his first start against elders. The Jeff Bonde pupil posted a sharp four-furlong

bullet work over the local oval and earned a career-best 99 BRIS Speed rating

last time. He looks capable of further improvement and will look to last a long

way on the front end under Victor Espinoza.

Kerlan winner MY SUMMER SLEW (Siberian Summer) has won two of his last three starts for Craig

Dollase but will be tested for class in this spot. It wouldn't surprise us to

see the hard-knocking California-bred rally from just off the pace for a minor

award, but we still have some doubts about his ability at this level. Multiple

Grade 3 winner EL BRUJO (Candy Ride [Arg]) will make his first start for Bob

Baffert but hasn't run very well in two attempts this year in Canada. We'll just

watch to see how he handles the transition to Southern California. SKY CAPE

(Najran) has some back class but could need a race off the 12-month layoff.