CCA Oaks

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A stellar cast of nine sophomore fillies will contest the 10-furlong Coaching

Club American Oaks (G1) on Saturday, including Kentucky Oaks (G1) queen SUMMERLY

(Summer Squall) and Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2) heroine SPUN SUGAR (Awesome Again),

but we'll go with the Shug McGaughey-conditioned SMUGGLER (Unbridled), who has

shown an affinity for the Elmont, New York, oval (4-3-1-0).

Out of champion Inside Information (Private Account), Smuggler broke her

maiden at first asking last October going six furlongs at Belmont and has made

all three of her three-year-old starts over the track. In her seasonal debut,

the bay won a one-mile allowance to tune up for the Acorn S. (G1), which she

lost by 1 1/2 lengths to the recently-injured Round Pond (Awesome Again).

Smuggler received a BRIS Speed rating of 109 for her runner-up finish in the

Acorn, the highest Speed figure in the Coaching Club field. She rebounded off

her Acorn run with a neck win last out in the Mother Goose S. (G1) over the two

aforementioned fillies as well as another Coaching Club rival, SEEKING THE ANTE

(Seeking the Gold). Smuggler has never finished worse than second in six career

starts and we can't envision that streak being broken here.

Spun Sugar shows a similar line (5-3-2-0), and had a reasonable excuse for

her second in the Mother Goose last time after being steadied leaving the chute.

She may rebound when starting on the first turn of the 1 1/2-mile oval, and the

Todd Pletcher trainee could return to the stellar form she showed after being

carried six wide and still annexing the Black-Eyed Susan. We will definitely use

the Grade 2 winner in all levels of the gimmicks under Pletcher's go-to man,

John Velazquez.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Summerly also merits respect off her Mother Goose

run, finishing a valiant third after running wide throughout the nine-furlong

event and still finding more in the stretch against a stubborn front runner and

an excellent closer. Jerry Bailey returns to ride and the versatile

three-year-old can run on the lead or close with authority, as she did when

victorious in the Silverbulletday S. (G3) and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) earlier

this year. The top three are a good trifecta play.

FOR ALL WE KNOW (Stephen Got Even) is undefeated from three career starts and

steps up to the stakes level for the first time in this spot. Her numbers are

good enough to surprise in this field, but we'll limit her usage to the bottom

of the exotics.

Seeking the Ante has performed better at shorter distances as the dark bay

won the seven-furlong Nassau County Breeders' Cup S. (G2) over this surface

earlier this year. She may hang around for part, but we'll have to go against

based on her fourth-place finish, beaten 5 3/4 lengths, last out in the Mother

Goose. PLEASANT CHIMES (Pleasant Tap) proved victorious in the Susan's Girl

Breeders' Cup S. most recently and is twice Grade 2-placed. She will try Belmont

for the first time here, and we'll watch to see how she does.

BAYOU BREEZE (A.P. Indy) won the Revidere S. last out but may be tested for

class in this spot. ATLAS VALLEY (Capote) doesn't own a stakes win and may need

a start against this level of competition. CAPITULATION (Distorted Humor) makes

a huge step in class here and we don't see her factoring against these.