Davona Dale J

AMERICAN GRADED STAKES

PREVIEWS

A solid field of nine three-year-old fillies will go postward in the $150,000

Davona Dale S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park on Sunday. Forward Gal S. (G2) runner-up

RENDA (Medaglia d'Oro) put in a huge late run in her first try over this oval,

and anything resembling that would make the Juan Arias trainee awfully tough

under Edgar Prado. The dark bay miss earned a superb 112 BRIS Late Pace number

for her recent effort and fired a bullet five panels in preparation for this

event.

Forward Gal heroine FROLIC'S DREAM (Smoke Glacken) will attempt to stretch

her speed another furlong in this mile test in her first try for Barclay Tagg. The

impressive gray has earned BRIS Speed numbers of 100, 103 and 110 in her

five-race career, where she's won on four occasions and fell a head shy on the

other. We can't deny the ability of the Florida-bred, who obviously loves this

oval, but we're going to try to beat her on this day.

STEP OUT SMARTLY (Came Home) has done little wrong in her last pair for Rusty

Arnold, which includes a fine closing rush to bag the Gowell S. at Turfway Park

in her latest venture. The Kentucky-bred looked the part with a huge maiden win

at Churchill in November and has trained well leading up to this event, so she

could be another who may benefit from the expected fast pace under Javier

Castellano.

C. S. SILK (Medaglia d'Oro), who rolled home in the Arlington-Washington

Lassie S. (G3) as a juvenile lass, didn't run her race in the Forward Gal but

should be much fitter for this test. The talented filly has excellent tactical

speed and is a good one when she's on her game, and we think she's due for a big

showing. Kent Desormeaux has the mount.

JUSTWHISTLEDIXIE (Dixie Union) has rolled to a trio of wins in succession,

including the Love Affair S. and Ruthless S. in her last two for conditioner

Kiaran McLaughlin. The well-meant Kentucky-bred will try to negotiate a distance

longer than seven-eighths for the first time in here, and she could be part of a

torrid early pace, so we'll keep her inclusion on the bottom of the gimmicks. 

CASANOVA MOVE (Langfuhr) has not won in five straight for Jimmy Jerkens but

has the right running style and post to make a run in the lane at a big price.

The dark bay will remove blinkers for this test and gets a rider switch to Jose Lezcano, so she looks playable from post

8.

SHARED ACCOUNT (Pleasantly Perfect) owns two odds-on wins at Laurel Park and

receives the acid test in this spot from the rail. This field is too

accomplished to side with a filly who has faced such little competition, so

we'll look elsewhere.

The well-bred STAGE TRICK (Distorted Humor) beat a nice one last out over

this strip and has shown obvious improvement at three, but this field looks a

bit over her head at this stage.

HOPEFUL IMAGE (Gulch) was trounced in the Forward Gal and looks like an

outsider in this field.