Lady of Shamrock treks east for New York

Lady of Shamrock made her most recent appearance in the May 27 Gamely at

Hollywood Park over 1 1/8 miles, where she fell 11 lengths behind the leaders

before rallying for third, 4 1/4 lengths adrift of the tough older mare

Marketing Mix. She will have Rajiv Maragh in the saddle for her Belmont debut.

"The

reason why we're headed to Belmont is because it's become apparent she wants to

run longer, and there is no race at a mile and a quarter in California," Sadler

said. "I think she'll do well on the larger turf course, and she's in good form,

even though she was third the other day (in the Gamely).

I'm actually

looking forward to possibly trying her over less-than-firm ground. My concern is

the same always: we'd prefer that she had some pace in front of her, and you

don't always get that in these races."

The 1 3/8-mile Sheepshead Bay, contested over soft ground on May 25, was a

longshot-dominated affair, and five of the New York entrants exit that heat.

Tannery, a Group 3 winner in Ireland last season, appeared to relish the

conditions when posting the 10-1 upset for her first U.S. win. Following that

one under the wire were Anjaz and Minakshi, former European mainstays with less

loftier credentials.

"I

hope she runs as well as she did last time," said Alan Goldberg, the trainer of

Tannery. "I wish she was carrying more weight, but she's training well, eating

well, and doing well. I expect her to run a good race. I think she likes a

little give in the ground, but she should run well as long as it's not too

hard."

The field is completed by Regalo Mia, who

captured the 1 1/2-mile Orchid at Gulfstream Park in March and most recently

finished in the Bewitch at Keeneland at the same distance.

Multiple Grade 2 winner Kauai Katie figures to

be a solid choice in the Grade 3, $150,000

Victory

Ride despite a recent seven-length defeat in the May 27 Acorn over a mile.

One of three Todd Pletcher-trained fillies in the six-furlong dash, she'll be

joined by the multiple stakes-winning Fusaichiswonderful, a close second in the

Eight Belles last time, and by the Grade 1-placed Teen Pauline, who disappointed

in her allowance comeback June 5.

"I didn't

think she ran badly in the Acorn from the rail," said Pletcher of Kauai Katie.

"She was never in a great position and was getting a lot of dirt in her face,

and she'd never really been in that situation. I thought she ran hard."

I'm Mom's Favorite, who came from 11 lengths

down to win the May 17 Miss Preakness at Pimlico by a nose, should also attract

play.

"Her

last race was not at all what I expected -- I thought she would break and be

close to the leaders, instead she was far back and come on," trainer Tony Dutrow

said. "Saturday, I would expect she would be a bit off the pace. It'd be

fantastic is she was able to win or place in a graded stakes."

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