La Brea J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Eleven three-year-old fillies will line up for Saturday's La Brea S. (G1) at

Santa Anita. BALANCE (Thunder Gulch) is undefeated in two starts over this

surface, winning the Las Virgenes S. (G1) and Santa Anita Oaks (G1) earlier this

year, and is easily the class of the field. The bay filly struggled against the

speed bias on the old dirt track at Keeneland, finishing third as the odds-on

favorite to the loose-on-the-lead Bushfire (Louis Quatorze) in the Ashland S.

(G1), and has not started since an off-the-board effort as the 8-5 favorite in

the Kentucky Oaks (G1), where she fractured an ankle. Balance has worked 13

times for her return to action and won both the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks

from well off the early pace. With plenty of speed present, she should be hard

to deny under regular rider Victor Espinoza.

East Coast invader WIN MCCOOL (Giant's Causeway) attracts Garrett Gomez, who

guided her to a front-running victory in the Floral Park H. (G3) on September 16

at Belmont Park. The chestnut dueled through fast fractions before diminishing

to fourth in the Gallant Bloom H. (G2), then forced the early issue before

finishing second in the First Flight H. (G2) in her last two. Win McCool has

terrific early speed and is seasoned at the graded level. She could be the one

to catch in the drive to the wire.

The lightly raced SQUALLACIOUS (Summer Squall) has not started since rallying

for runner-up honors in the Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks (G2) in early June.

Prior to that, she won her first two starts with authority from off the pace.

The Mike Puype trainee has posted a strong series of workouts for her

reappearance and will carry just 115 pounds. Squallacious is a talented filly

and must be respected beneath Northern California phenomenon Russell Baze.

FOXYSOX (GB) (Foxhound), a multiple Grade 3 winner on the turf, exits a

last-to-first victory in the Bayakoa H. (G2) on Hollywood Park's Cushion Track.

If she can transfer her form to the main track, the chestnut figures to lay off

the early pace and then come running in the lane. Foxysox, who lures Corey

Nakatani from the one above, classes up well and looms a threat. In her first

start for trainer Bob Baffert, DOWNTHEDUSTYROAD (Storm and a Half) attended the

early pace before finishing third in the Hollywood Breeders' Cup Oaks. Since then, she has

finished second three times, including a front-running, runner-up effort in the 1

1/16-mile Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup H. (G2). Downthedustyroad will likely be

in the mix early and may stick around for a minor award.

Beaumont S. (G2) heroine DIPLOMAT LADY (Forestry) defeated Balance in the

Hollywood Starlet S. (G1) at two, then finished well behind that rival in both

the Las Virgenes and Santa Anita Oaks. The dark bay has good early speed, but

will be making her first start for trainer Eric Guillot in this spot. She

projects mixed

signals. Multiple Grade 3 winner BETTARUN FAST (Kelly Kip) will try to work out

an inside pressing trip but would have to improve significantly for all the

marbles. VAGUE (Elusive Quality) has won two of three starts on the main track,

including the U.A.E. One Thousand Guineas. The Doug O'Neill trainee will be

outfitted with blinkers and could crash the vertical exotics at large odds.

California-bred GETBACK TIME (Gilded Time) has some early foot but the

outside draw and the class rise may be too much. The speedy RIVER'S PRAYER

(Devon Lane) figures to be an early pace factor but is hard to recommend at this

level. LES RY LEIGH (Broken Vow) has been facing lesser and

would be a surprise.