Bowling Green J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Eight turf marathoners are entered to contest Sunday's Bowling Green H. (G2)

at Belmont Park. Although the Todd Pletcher-trained SUNRIVER (Saint Ballado) has

raced just once on the green, we came away from that effort quite impressed and

will tab him as our top choice in here. The dark bay showed class as a

three-year-old last year, taking the Peter Pan S. (G2) and placing in the

Florida Derby (G1) and Belmont S. (G1), and the Kentucky-bred could improve in

his four-year-old season. The well-bred colt possesses excellent tactical speed,

is bred to handle the 1 3/8-mile distance and has trained well in advance of

this. Garrett Gomez will ride.

SHAKIS (Ire) (Machiavellian), the likely favorite in here, was a big third in the recent

Manhattan H. (G1) and is an obvious win contender for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

The seven-year-old has kept decent company throughout his racing career but has

yet to earn a stakes win, a trend that sways us from keeping this one in the top

spot. A top effort under Alan Garcia will certainly challenge the

whole group.

SILVER WHISTLE (Alphabet Soup) owns two wins from four tries over this course

and fits the bill of one who could complete some exotics at a square price. The

Bill Mott charge was no match for Sunriver last out, but should benefit from the

added ground and additional pace presence that this one offers. A Grade 3 hero

at 12 furlongs, Silver Whistle should get a fair stalking trip before putting in

his late push. Kent Desormeaux has the assignment.

Multiple Grade 2 winner DREADNAUGHT (Lac Ouimet) has visited the winner's

circle just once since 2005, but the hard-knocking gelding often runs well

enough to be in contention late. The seven-year-old bay was a close second in

the Sussex S. last out in a prep for this, and should appreciate the return to

marathon racing after traveling just 1 1/16 miles last try. We won't get our hopes up

that this Tom Voss trainee will win, but we certainly

expect him to be in the mix beneath Cornelio Velasquez.

FISHY ADVICE (Woodman) had a nice tune-up for this, a score in the

Battlefield S., and has been first or second in his past seven consecutive outings for

conditioner David Donk. The five-year-old chestnut is stakes tested and owns a

good deal of tactical speed, but has never run this far and we're not sure how

the Kentucky-bred will handle the trip. Fishy Advice will be piloted by Eibar Coa

and is a strong exotics player with his best.

INTERPATATION (Langfuhr) is a consistent late runner but lacks the quality of

much of this field and is best kept on the bottom of the exotics. Trained by

Robert Barbara, the gelded five-year-old has won or placed in four of six local

starts, and should peak in his third start off the brief freshening, but his

best is probably not up to par with the best of those chosen above him. Channing

Hill will guide the dark bay from the outside post.

TRIPPI'S STORM (Trippi) has improved nicely since transferring to grass

racing four starts back for trainer Stanley Hough. The Florida-bred gelding has

put in two big efforts versus cheaper over this lawn and could get a piece with

a career-topping effort. Javier Castellano will ride the likely pacesetter, who

breaks from the rail.

BARASTRAIGHT (GB) (Barathea [Ire]) is a Group 3 hero in his native France but

has failed to cross the wire first in five subsequent starts since last April.

The ridgling was an unenthusiastic fourth in a recent allowance test, and

nothing from that effort leads us to believe that the chestnut will make an

impact in here. Fernando Jara will pilot the four-year-old.