Maryland BC Sprint J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

A field of eight has been entered to go six furlongs in Saturday's $200,000

Maryland Breeders' Cup Sprint H. (G3) at Pimlico, and it appears to be a

three-horse race. SEMAPHORE MAN (Formal Gold), DIABOLICAL (Artax) and TALENT

SEARCH (Catienus) all have a valid chance at showing up in the winner's circle,

and we're going with the latter to come out on top while making his graded

debut.

Talent Search began his career in the maiden claiming ranks, but a 6

1/2-length victory in his debut was more than enough for his connections to move

him into allowance company next out. After another easy win, the chestnut was

transferred to trainer Mark Shuman, who started him in his first stakes last

November. After a second in the Sophomore Sprint Championship S., Talent Search

spent his next four races battling allowance/optional claiming company, posting

exceptional BRIS Speed ratings of 102 and 107 in the process. The four-year-old

was moved back to stakes company last out and rewarded that decision with a

dominating six-length, front-running victory in the Jim McKay Sprint S. at

Pimlico while garnering a 111 Speed figure. Four of his five lifetime victories

have come at Saturday's six-furlong distance, and Talent Search could make it

three in a row here under regular rider Ryan Fogelsonger.

Semaphore Man earned his first stakes score when taking the King Cotton S. in

his five-year-old debut in February. Since then, the Kelly Von Hemel-trained

gelding has just missed when second in the Hot Springs S. and Count Fleet Sprint

H. (G3), with all three starts this year coming at Oaklawn Park. The dark bay

garnered a 105 Speed as well as 101 BRIS Late and E2 Pace ratings for his

half-length runner-up finish in the Count Fleet last out, but we're a little

wary on backing in his first try at Pimlico. Semaphore Man has plenty of

experience racing over different tracks in the past, but all five of his career

wins have come at Oaklawn. Nevertheless, he'll be tough in this spot and could

easily fill out the exacta with Robby Albarado getting the call.

Diabolical's last win came in the Gallant Bob H. last fall at Philadelphia

Park, and the Steve Klesaris charge was then pitted against some of the best in

the sprint division for his last three. He finished just three parts of a length

back of Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) hero and champion sprinter Thor's Echo (Swiss

Yodeler) in the Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash S. (G1) in November, returned

in March to run a length back in third of Half Ours (Unbridled's Song) in the

Richter Scale Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship H. (G2) and was a 1 1/4-length

runner-up in the Carter H. (G1) behind Silver Wagon (Wagon Limit) last out in

early April. Diabolical consistently posts triple-digit E2 Pace figures and

earned a field-best 112 Speed rating for his Gallant Bob victory. Our only knock

against him is that all but two of his career wins have come at a mile or more.

The chestnut four-year-old may prefer a bit more ground than the three-quarters

he'll be running Saturday, but is a definite threat to complete the exotics with

Mario Pino holding the reins.

FLEET VALID (Montbrook) is lightly raced, making just six starts since

beginning his career in 2005. However, the four-year-old colt captured four of

those races and placed in the other two. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the

chestnut is used to having the lead, but we can't see him getting the jump on

our top pick. Fleet Valid is still a contender for a top-three finish in his

stakes bow with Edgar Prado aboard. CELTIC INNIS (Yarrow Brae) is a six-furlong

specialist, finishing in the top three in 14 of his 19 starts at the distance.

The dark bay was third to our top pick in the Jim McKay last out and could grab

a share under jockey John Velazquez.

EURO CODE (Forestry), well back in second in the Jim McKay most recently,

doesn't look fast enough to challenge against these. FIRST WORD (Chester House)

hasn't been competitive against stakes company in the past and we don't see him

reversing that form here. SIR CLASSIC CHRIS (Catienus) appears to be way out of

his class in this spot.