La Troienne

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Thursday's La Troienne S. (G3) features three-year-olds fillies going 7 1/2

furlongs around one turn at Churchill Downs. ASPEN TREE (Holy Bull), the 3-1

morning-line favorite, is expected to scratch and run instead in the Kentucky

Oaks (G1) on Friday.

CULINARY (El Amante), who is listed at a remarkable 8-1 on the morning line,

broke her maiden impressively, drawing off by 11 lengths going a one-turn mile

in her juvenile debut at Arlington Park. She returned in the one-mile

Arlington-Washington Lassie S. (G3) to defeat Oaks contender Runway Model

(Petionville) and KOTA (Indian Charlie) by open lengths, earning a BRIS Speed

rating of 95 and a Late Pace rating of 107. In her most recent outing, the

Michael Stidham trainee was sent forth at 7-1 in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile

Fillies (G1), where she forced the pace while wide on both turns before fading

to seventh, beaten 9 1/2 lengths. Culinary has a long series of works for her

return and rates our top choice based on two-year-old form/class.

HOT STORM (Stormy Atlantic) and PUNCH APPEAL (Successful Appeal) finished

within a head of each other, running third and fourth, respectively, in the

about seven-furlong Beaumont S. (G2) at Keeneland. The former has shown solid

improvement this year and gets a returning Jerry Bailey in the saddle, while the

latter won the one-mile Pocahontas S. over this track last year and is

tactically drawn on the outside under John Velazquez. If the top choice falters,

either of these could get their picture taken.

The John Ward-trained SEEK A STAR (Mutakddim) exits an impressive 5

3/4-length score over first-level allowance sorts at Keeneland and should be a

part of the mix early. The chestnut filly goes farther and steps up in class,

but could stick around for a share. Kota is a seasoned stakes filly who turns

back in distance off a good third-place effort in the 1 1/16-mile Instant Racing

Breeders' Cup S. at Oaklawn Park. She figures to stalk the early going from the

inside and could earn a part.

The wild card is OUR KES (Ire) (Revoque), who has won her last three starts

in England on the Polytrack surface. She was purchased privately after her most

recent victory and is now trained by Bobby Frankel. She adds first-time Lasix

and Rafael Bejarano but she figures to be tested for class in this spot. SHE'S

THAT CAT (American Chance) brings improving form into this event after winning

her first two conditions and finishing a close second against second-level

allowance types last out. She would be a surprise. COOL SPELL (Grand Slam) won a

small stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in her first start of the season but has not

factored in two races since. She is hard to recommend.