Honeybee

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Nine sophomore fillies will contest Saturday's $125,000 Honeybee S. (G3) at

Oaklawn Park, and we'll go

with DECELERATOR (Dehere), who exits a solid one-length score in the Martha

Washington S. over the Hot Springs, Arkansas, track. Winner of the Debutante S.

(G3) last spring, the D. Wayne Lukas-trained filly reeled off three consecutive

dull efforts before coming on at the end of the year with seconds in the

Pocahontas S. (G3) and Golden Rod S. (G2), and she's shown an affinity for

Oaklawn with a pair of strong performances this meet. The D. Wayne Lukas-trained

filly owns excellent BRIS Pace numbers and is well-drawn in post 2 with Corey

Nakatani. We'll look for her to sit just off the speed before pouncing in this 1

1/16-mile event.

BELL'S SHOES (Mineshaft) has a chance at an upset. A sharp 2 3/4-length

maiden winner going six furlongs at Oaklawn two back, the Jinks Fires lass

figured to appreciate longer distances with her pedigree and offered a

commendable showing when making her two-turn debut in the Martha Washington,

rallying well for third-place honors. She gained valuable experience in that

spot and appears to be training forwardly in the interim. We'll look for a

strong rally under Jon Court.

Multiple Grade 1 runner-up BEAUTICIAN (Dehere) is the likely favorite with

her back class, but she tailed off badly in her juvenile finales and shows only

three works in preparation for her 2010 bow. The talented gray remains a logical

win threat for Kenny McPeek, but we'll give her a race off the freshening.

TAP TAP TAPPING (Tapit) rolled to a visually impressive maiden tally two

starts back and probably didn't like the sloppy track last time. She's eligible

to show more with expected fast conditions on Saturday, and her BRIS Late Pace

ratings stamp her as a fast-closing threat for the exotics.

BELLA DIAMANTE (Lost Soldier) is a hard-trying sort who has finished first or

second in four-of-five starts. We can't eliminate her from exotics

consideration, but she'll be tested for distance. NO SUCH WORD (Canadian

Frontier) looked good defeating allowance/optional claiming rivals over a sloppy

track last time, but we don't like her stretching out in distance on the class

hike.

LAURA BABE (City Zip) lost all chance at the start last time, but we have

class concerns here. TIZ MIZ SUE (Tiznow) could add to the pace, but she doesn't

look sharp enough to challenge. DIXIE HEARTH (Stephen Got Even) probably needs a

softer spot to be effective.