Florida Oaks

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Grade 3 queen ELUSIVE LADY (Van Nistelrooy) leads a field of eight in the

$200,000 Florida Oaks (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, but we'll side with

others on this occasion.

OBS Championship S. romper CALICO BAY (Three Wonders) has registered

improving BRIS Speed numbers in three straight outings and couldn't be in better

form for Bill Kaplan, so we'll go with the Florida-bred. Winner of the My Dear

Girl division of the Florida Stallion S. over the dirt oval at Calder during her

juvenile campaign, the bay filly has yet to run worse than fourth in her career

and has never been better, so it's hard to look elsewhere. Manoel Cruz will be

aboard the miss, who should be rating in midpack prior to putting in her winning

run.

Suncoast S. second-placer MY BABY BABY (Bernstein) has improved in each

outing for Ken McPeek and seems poised for a big showing in this one under John

Velazquez. The bay filly captured her second career race by 12 1/4 lengths at

Gulfstream and was clearly second best in the Suncoast, finishing nearly seven

lengths clear of her nearest foe. The tactical miss will be in the mix early and

may be tough to catch late if she gets the jump on the top pick.

Gasparilla S. winner AWESOME CHIC (Awesome Again) has never run a bad one and

is bred to handle this trip with ease, so tab this one as a live exotics player

for conditioner Rafael Ramos. The chestnut miss was a close third in the

Sandpiper S. in her second career start, and didn't embarrass herself when a

closing third in the OBS Sprint S. over a synthetic oval most recently. Ramos is

21 percent going sprint-to-route, so a top-three showing would not surprise us.

NO USE DENYING (Maria's Mon) is ambitiously placed by sharp horseman Graham

Motion and could reach the exotics with improvement in this affair. The gray

miss broke her maiden at first asking at Laurel and registered a third-place

effort in the Suncoast in advance of this, so we're expecting further

improvement under Willie Martinez. The Kentucky-bred should save valuable ground

early from her rail post, and if the leaders tire, she'll likely be challenging

for a stakes placing in the latter stages.

Elusive Lady cruised home an emphatic winner of the Tempted S. (G3) prior to

posting a second-place finish in the Demoiselle S. (G2) in her freshman finale

for John Kimmel, but her 2008 bow was ugly and we're turned off. The gray filly

never lifted a foot in the Old Hat S. (G2) and has been off for more than two

months following that result, so we're getting negative signals from her corner.

The Florida-bred is as talented as any in this group and could win here if she's

right, but we aren't confident that her best is forthcoming.

DATTTS R GIRL ADDY (Vindication) earned a strong 101 BRIS Late Pace number in

her maiden win and jumps to stakes company for Mark Hennig. The bay sophomore

has yet to go two turns and has never faced winners, so it's difficult to

endorse her with confidence on this day. Eibar Coa, who piloted the filly in her

first two starts, has the assignment.

UNFOLDING WISH (Gilded Time), winner of the Sandpiper two back, finished a

good third in the Gasparilla last out and will attempt two turns for the initial

time for Dale Bennett. This filly looks like a dead sprinter to us, and we

despise her outside post, so we'll pass. DEE'S ROSE (Straight Man) flashed good

speed before tiring in the Suncoast, and faces a much deeper cast in this

affair. We'll look elsewhere.