Evening Jewel, Unzip Me clash in Monrovia

Unzip Me promises to burst right to the lead for Rafael Bejarano from the

middle of the eight-horse field in post 4.

The newly-turned four-year-old Evening Jewel warrants considerable respect on

the strength of her resume. The winner of the Ashland S. (G1), Del Mar Oaks

(G1), Honeymoon H. (G2) and San Clemente H. (G2) last season, the Jim Cassidy

filly was just denied by presumptive champion Blind Luck (Pollard's Vision) in

the Las Virgenes S. (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1). Perhaps to avoid her nemesis in

the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1), Evening Jewel shortened up to seven

furlongs for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), her first one-turn

event since her juvenile days, and finished third.

Regular rider Victor Espinoza will guide Evening Jewel, the co-highweight

with Unzip Me at 123 pounds, from post 2 in her first attempt at the unique

course.

Evening Jewel will meet Blind Luck's stablemate from the Jerry Hollendorfer

barn, LILLY FA POOTZ (Gilded Time), who cuts back in trip off a sixth in the

Matriarch S. (G1) and a ninth in the Yellow Ribbon S. (G1) two back. The

reformed claimer was in peak form at Del Mar last summer, capturing the Osunitas

S., just missing in the John C. Mabee S. (G2) and checking in third in the

Palomar H. (G2), and hopes that a change to the downhill will spark a revival of

fortune. Joel Rosario, who rode her to her graded stakes placings, regains the

mount.

LA NEZ (Storm Creek) scratched out of last Sunday's La Brea S. (G1) on the

dirt in favor of this spot. The Eric Kruljac trainee has done her best work in

restricted stakes, most recently coming from off the pace to claim the October

30 California Cup Distaff H. over Hollywood's turf. Nevertheless, La Nez has

also performed decently against graded rivals when third in the 2009 Del Mar

Debutante S. (G1) and runner-up in the Santa Paula S. (G3) in her 2010 bow. Joe

Talamo picks up the mount.

REBA IS TOPS (He's Tops), seventh behind the ill-fated Tuscan Evening (Ire)

in this race last year, racked up her fourth stakes score in the November 26

Raise Your Skirts S. at Hollywood. In her prior outing, the seven-year-old

veteran had defeated the promising BROKEN DREAMS (Broken Vow), who came right

back to win an optional claimer convincingly for Tom Proctor. Broken Dreams,

runner-up to the talented Rose Catherine (Speightstown) in a Saratoga stakes

over Labor Day weekend, keeps Garrett Gomez in the saddle. The Bob Baffert-trained

GILDED GEM (Smarty Jones) exits a second-level allowance tally over Hollywood's

Cushion Track and would be making her turf debut here.