Mint Julep J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

A competitive group of 11 fillies and mares will line up to contest the

$150,000 Mint Julep H. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Champion DREAMING OF

ANNA (Rahy) leads the field, and the four-year-old looks like she's simply too

good for this group. The Wayne Catalano pupil has been a model of consistency

throughout her brilliant career, compiling a 14-9-3-1 mark with her lone blemish

coming in the 2007 Kentucky Oaks (G1) in the mud. The chestnut filly has never

been worse than second in 10 turf starts, and ran a solid second in the

Churchill Distaff

Turf Mile S. (G3) over this sod most recently. The likely favorite has as much speed

as any in the field and will surely be an ultra-tough foe with something close

to her best. Garrett Gomez, who finished second aboard the lass in the Queen

Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1) last year, gets paired with the gem

once again.

The performance of DANZON (Royal Academy) disappointed us on Derby Day, but we

are willing to give the Bill Mott charge a chance for redemption. The dark bay

mare finished a close third in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S. (G1) versus the boys last

spring at this venue and dominated the Kentucky Cup Distaff S. (G3) last

September, so we know she has the ability. We're concerned that this distance

will be too short for the five-year-old, but her class should see her pass many

of these in the lane. Kent Desormeaux has the assignment.

The Churchill-loving CIAO (Lear Fan) is a different animal when stepping onto

this turf course and is always a threat under the Twin Spires. Conditioned by

Frank Kirby, the bay filly won the 2006 Caressing H. here, recorded a

three-length allowance tally over this course last summer and concluded her

sophomore campaign a

fast-closing second in November's Mrs. Revere S. (G2). The wide post (11) doesn't excite us, but it would be foolish to not

include her in everything beneath Mike Luzzi.

TEARS I CRY (Chester House) finished a solid second in the Ouija Board

Distaff H.

(G3) last out, which followed a comprehensive win in the Irving Distaff S. for

conditioner Cody Autrey. The bay filly, who flashed good ability in the Empire

State as a sophomore, is arguably as good as any in this field not named

Dreaming of Anna, and she rates a big chance at a graded placing. The

four-year-old has good tactical speed which should keep her in the mix early,

and if she fires her best shot, she'll be there late under Jamie Theriot.

Grade 2 queen STREET SOUNDS (Street Cry [Ire]) hasn't won a race since May of

2007, but the Michael Matz pupil is rounding into her best form and could make

some noise in here with further improvement. The dark bay four-year-old earned

her marquee win in last year's Beaumont S. (G2) and hasn't looked that good

since, but she's a three-time turf winner from a smart outfit, and we'll use her

in the gimmicks.

We've always had an eye on BALLYMORE LADY (War Chant) and thought she may be

up to this level on her best day for trainer Eddie Kenneally. The five-year-old

bay won her prep race for this over considerably softer, but the mare has been

pretty steady for all of 2008 and she could sneak into the exotics with the

right trip. Julien Leparoux will be up. MAMA I'M HOME (Wheaton) is winless in

three tries at this venue and has never been all that formidable against graded

company, so the best we can envision from the six-year-old is a midpack finish.

KISS WITH A TWIST (Lemon Drop Kid) is a hard-trying filly for Jose Fernandez

who has finished in the top three in six of her eight lifetime efforts on the

green. The Kentucky-bred miss logged a sixth in her lone grassy stakes try, but

finished just three lengths back in the Mrs. Revere S. (G2) in her sophomore

finale. We like her heart and will include the four-year-old in the vertical

exotics. SPRUNG (Grand Slam) picked up a useful allowance win over this surface in

preparation of this but still appears to be a cut below the best in this field.

RUSTIC FLAME (Ire) (Danehill Dancer) earned a nice win over allowance fillies

and mares at Keeneland but is making a big jump up in class, and we're not sure

she's ready to handle it just yet. SOUSAPHONE (Stravinsky) finished fifth at big

odds in a second-level allowance race and doesn't exactly fit with this type at

this stage of her career.