Endine

Grade 2-winning sophomore fillies MIRACULOUS MISS (Mr. Greeley) and HELLO

LIBERTY (Forest Camp) will face elders for the first time in Saturday's $200,000

Endine H. (G3) at Delaware Park, and both certainly deserve serious

consideration for top honors. However, we like HOT STORM (Stormy Atlantic).

Third in the Princess Rooney H. (G1) two starts back, the five-year-old mare

easily captured a six-furlong stakes at Mountaineer Park last out, registering

another strong BRIS Speed rating of 102, and she rated patiently off the pace

before striking. The Dallas Stewart trainee is always a wire-to-wire threat with

her early speed, and Hot Storm has been a win machine over the past 12 months,

capturing seven of nine starts. Six furlongs is her best distance, and the

seven-time stakes queen can earn her first graded win here.

Miraculous Miss returns off a 147-day layoff and could find her way into the

winner's circle if she doesn't need a start off the layoff. A winner in five of

six career starts, the chestnut three-year-old's lone setback came over a sloppy

track. She appears to be training forwardly for Steve Klesaris, but Miraculous

Miss is a confirmed closer, winning her last two appearances over Grade 2 rivals

from far back in the early stages. Entrymate COLI BEAR (Formal Dinner) will help

ensure a fast pace, but we're still concerned that she may have too much to do

in the stretch of her comebacker. The very promising filly is two for two over

the track.

MISS ELSIE (Golden Gear), the coupled stablemate of Hello Liberty, brings

good form into this event. Trained by Larry Jones, the five-year-old won the

Light Hearted S. at Delaware two starts ago and has been in the top three of her

last seven outings. She recorded a solid third in the Honorable Miss H. (G2) at

Saratoga most recently, earning a field-best last race Speed rating of 103, and

owns a 4-1-2-1 mark locally. Miss Elsie will be forwardly placed from the start

and looms as a top contender for it all under Mario Pino.

ANNIKA LASS (Mister Jolie) is an upset candidate for the barn of Scott Blasi.

Winless from five starts in 2006, a top three finish is probably more likely for

the gray, but we're not going to dismiss the five-year-old's

win chances outright. Annika Lass has been hooking tough company all year and

usually gives a good account of herself.

THATS OUR SONG (Thats Our Buck) is four for nine over the track and owns a

creditable late kick, earning triple-digit BRIS Late Pace numbers in recent starts. She

tries hard every time and is good at the distance. Thats Our Song looks like an

attractive option for the bottom of the exotics at a price. EBONY BREEZE (Belong

to Me) will attempt to pick up the pieces from off the pace, but she was beaten in

this event at 6-5 last year (third) and has dropped her last five attempts at

six panels. She still merits consideration for a minor share.

Hello Liberty won the seven-furlong Nassau County Breeders' Cup S. (G2) three

starts back and finished second in the one-mile Acorn S. (G1) two back. We're

willing to throw out her last showing in the Test S. (G1) at Saratoga, but six

furlongs doesn't look like her best distance. We'll just watch to see how she

fares here against older rivals. GILDED GOLD (Gilded Time) enjoyed some stakes

success on the grass earlier this year, but she's in a tough spot here on the

main track. Coli Bear will be winging it from the start, but we'd be surprised

to see her sustain her speed.