Mambo in Seattle bids to get back on track in Tenacious

This summer, the royally bred MAMBO IN SEATTLE (Kingmambo) was a

three-year-old on the improve, a trend that culminated in his heartbreaking loss

by a nose in the Travers S. (G1). Since then, things have not gone the right way

for the Neil Howard pupil, who will try to rebound as the 120-pound highweight

in Saturday's $60,000

Tenacious H. at Fair Grounds.

Named for the two-time winner of the New Orleans H. in 1958-59,  the 1

1/16-mile Tenacious serves as the first in a series of local preps building up

to the $500,000 New Orleans H. (G2) on March 14. It has accordingly attracted a

quality field, and Mambo in Seattle must overcome a talented cast of eight

opponents if he is to achieve his objective.

Out of Grade 1-placed Weekend in Seattle (Seattle Slew), a full sister to

Horse of the Year and mega-sire A.P. Indy and a half-sister to Preakness S. (G1)

hero Summer Squall (Storm Bird), Mambo in Seattle was bred to be a star. The bay

was sidelined after his maiden score last November, but he soon began to climb

the class ladder when returning as a three-year-old. He defeated older horses in

a pair of allowances at Churchill Downs, and in his stakes debut in the Henry

Walton S. at Saratoga, he battled to a neck victory, with the third-place

finisher 12 1/2 lengths farther back.

Rallying from near the tail of the field in the Travers, he appeared to have

all the momentum crossing the wire, only to lose the photo-finish to Colonel

John (Tiznow) by a whisker. Next time out in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on a

sloppy, sealed Belmont track, Mambo in Seattle retreated to finish a distant

fourth to Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike). He faced a lesser group of

older foes in the Fayette S. (G3), but he never fired on the Polytrack and wound

up a non-threatening seventh as the 6-5 choice. On Saturday, Mambo in Seattle

will likely find conditions to suit, and an honest pace to set up his late kick.

He will reunite with Corey Lanerie, who should mastermind a ground-saving trip

from post 3.

Three other sophomores are also lining up in the Tenacious. The Larry

Jones-trained STONES RIVER (Monarchos) is in a broadly similar position to Mambo

in Seattle, for he too has failed to follow through in recent starts. The gray

compiled a four-race winning streak over the summer, capped by a commanding

score in the Nick Shuk Memorial S. at Delaware. In three subsequent outings,

Stones River was fourth in the Pennsylvania Derby (G2), sixth in the Jockey Club

Gold Cup and seventh in the Pegasus S. (G3). Regular rider Gabriel Saez is back

aboard the deep closer.

Multiple Canadian stakes winner SECRET GETAWAY (Skip Away), who was a

wide-trip fifth in the Fayette, has again landed widest of all in post 9. A

near-miss second in the Ontario Derby two back, the Mike Stidham trainee figures

to prompt the pace beneath new rider James Graham. The well-bred TEND (Dynaformer),

fifth in the 2007 Breeders' Futurity (G1) in his only previous stakes attempt,

brings a two-race winning skein into his 2008 stakes bow for Al Stall Jr.

Among the older horses, Grade 3 veteran REAL DANDY (Yankee Victor) returns

from a 10-month layoff for Steve Asmussen; Hanshin Cup H. (G3) hero CORAGIL CAT

(Forest Wildcat), a poor fifth in the Ack Ack H. (G3) at Churchill last out,

will again try to transfer his sparkling synthetic form to dirt; and likely

pacesetter STONEHOUSE (Chester House), who loves Fair Grounds, comes off a sharp

score versus Illinois-breds in the Buck's Boy H. at Hawthorne.