Deputy Minister

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A small field of five is set to line up in Saturday's $100,000 Deputy

Minister H. (G3) on the Donn H. (G1) undercard at Gulfstream Park, and the race looks to

come down to KELLY'S LANDING (Patton) and SIR GREELEY (Mr. Greeley). The former

captured the Mr. Prospector H. (G3) four weeks ago while making his six-year-old

bow and brings good BRIS numbers into this 6 1/2-furlong affair. However, we're

going with Sir Greeley to earn his first victory since taking the Westchester H.

(G3) last May.

The James Jerkens-trained Sir Greeley recorded consecutive 108 BRIS Speed

ratings in his past two races, which were close seconds in the Fall Highweight

H. and Hal's Hope H. (G3), respectively. The five-year-old posted an easy 6 1/4-length win in

his only try at this distance in 2005, and has proven he can handle both fast

and off track conditions. He ran second by a neck last year in the Carter H.

(G1) to Bishop Court Hill (Holy Bull), who just captured the Paumonok H. by 2

1/4 lengths last Saturday. Sir Greeley owns a win over the track and will be

tough to deny coming from just off the pace under Kent Desormeaux.

Kelly's Landing is a six-year-old who has displayed a tendency

to either run a big race or throw in a poor performance. Trained by Eddie

Kenneally, the dark bay gelding won the Phoenix Breeders' Cup S. (G3) on

Keeneland's Polytrack last season, but was well back in the Arlington Breeders'

Cup Sprint H; a second in the Aristides Breeders' Cup H. (G3) was followed by a

fourth in the Smile Sprint H. (G2). Judging by his pattern, it's time for a subpar

effort following his aforementioned Mr. Prospector score. However, Kelly's Landing owns good

numbers, loves Gulfstream's dirt (5-3-1-1) and shows a win at the distance. It

wouldn't surprise us to see him getting his picture taken in the winner's circle

under Edgar Prado.

HIGH FINANCE (Talk Is Money) was second in the Mr. Prospector last out and

ran a close fourth in the Mr. Leader S. at Aqueduct in mid-November. The Richard Violette Jr. charge took last summer off after an unplaced finish in the Belmont

S. (G1), then captured his first race back by 5 1/2 lengths, earning a 107 Speed

rating. High Finance was relatively inexperienced when trying the Belmont and

favors shorter distances. He can continue to improve here while finishing in the top three.

KEYED ENTRY (Honour and Glory) was a contender on the Triple Crown Trail last

year, taking the Hutcheson S. (G2) and placing in the Wood Memorial S. (G1) and

Gotham S. (G3). However, he was distanced in both the Kentucky Derby (G1) and

Dwyer S. (G2), and hasn't raced since the latter event in early July. He'll

probably need a race off the 214-day vacation.

NAR (Northern Afleet) was well back in third when running in last year's

Jerome Breeders' Cup H. (G2), his only stakes try to date. The gray

four-year-old could earn another graded placing in this short field, but appears out of his class in any other case.