Dancing in Silks, M One Rifle clash in Palos Verdes

Should the Santa Anita Pro-Ride recover in time from the biblical amount of

rain expected to be dumped on Southern California this week, Saturday's $150,000

Palos

Verdes H. (G2) over six furlongs figures to be a whale of a race.

DANCING IN SILKS (Black Minnaloushe), the California-bred gelding who upset

the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) by a nose in November at odds of 25-1, is

scheduled to make his seasonal debut for trainer Carla Gaines, with regular

rider Joel Rosario. The Sprint was the third consecutive win for the now

five-year-old, who took the California Cup Sprint two back by a similar margin

over M ONE RIFLE (One Man Army), another state-bred gelding, who kicked off the

Santa Anita winter meet in fine style with a wire-to-wire score from post 13 in

the Malibu S. (G1) on December 26. Mike Smith will retain the mount on M One

Rifle, who will carry 120 pounds to Dancing in Silks' 123.

EATON'S GIFT (Johannesburg), who upset champion Benny the Bull in the Smile

Sprint H. (G2) last summer, makes his first start in California since an

unplaced effort in the 2007 CashCall Futurity (G1). Now under the tutelage of

Mike Mitchell, the bay has ripped off three bullet works at Hollywood Park in

recent weeks. He is, however, only one-for-four on synthetic surfaces and has

not raced since finishing a distant fifth in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. (G2)

last August.

KINSALE KING (Yankee Victor), 7-1 upsetter of the Vernon O. Underwood S. (G3)

last month, owns a couple wins over the Santa Anita strip, as does SUPREME

SUMMIT (Cactus Ridge), a rallying fourth being M One Rifle in the Malibu after

trailing the field through the first half of the race. A potential sleeper is EZ

DREAMER (In Excess [Ire]), who notched the Iowa Sprint last summer and finished

a close third behind Fatal Bullet (Red Bullet) and Capt. Candyman Can (Candy

Ride [Arg]) in the Phoenix S. (G3) in his lone synthetic attempt.

Of the remaining three longshots, the one most likely to nab a slice is

PAUL'S HOPE (Lake Austin), who missed by only a half-length in the Potrero

Grande H. (G2) when last seen in stakes company over the Pro-Ride.