Miss Grillo

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A field of nine juvenile fillies will travel 1 1/16 miles in the $150,000

Miss Grillo S. (G3) on Sunday on the Belmont Park inner turf oval. These fields

are always a bit tricky in determining who might be ready to fire, so we will

look for one who should offer a fair amount of value.

ZODIAC GIRL (Aldebaran) reminds us, from a running standpoint, of the filly who

won this in 2008, Maram (Sahm), so we will give this one the nod in hopes that

trainer Chad Brown could win his second straight in this grass affair. A

three-length maiden heroine versus claiming foes, the intriguing chestnut has

had four works since her debut for a conditioner who often does better with

second-time starters. Jose Lezcano retains the mount.

P. G. Johnson S. runner-up SMART SEATTLE (Smart Strike) has every right to

improve in her second route try and should be a big factor with any improvement

for Graham Motion. The bay filly was a sharp first-out winner at Saratoga and gives the impression of a filly who can handle a distance like

this with ease, so we'll definitely use the Pennsylvania-bred from the rail.

NEGLIGEE (Northern Afleet) had run two solid races in Canada before being

sent to the United States and trainer John Terranova in advance of this tilt. Second in

the Ontario Debutante S. over the Woodbine Polytrack last out, the Kentucky-bred

should be able to handle the sod and Terranova is a solid trainer, so we see

nothing wrong with this one.

The blue-blooded HATHEER (Storm Cat) has run a pair of solid races for Kiaran

McLaughlin, including a commanding maiden win at this distance upstate in her

latest test. The top prospect has good tactical speed and has done little wrong

thus far, but we fear that she'll be overbet and will take a stand against in

this wide-open event. ZILVA (Successful Appeal) closed in :29 and change for the final

five-sixteenths of her maiden win and appears to have a useful future on the

lawn. Coupled in the wagering with our second pick for Motion, this one

adds some insurance if her stablemate fails to fire.

P. G. Johnson winner TAPITSFLY (Tapit) led throughout in her recent stakes

win, which was her turf debut, but the competition in here is much more than she

saw last out and she could be vulnerable at short odds. Maiden DAD'S CRAZY (Langfuhr) drew widest of all and might make more sense

against non-winners for Todd Pletcher. Motion's third entrant, CHECK THE LABEL (Stormin Fever), was a fine maiden

victress at Colonial two back but has shown little in a pair of affairs on the

main oval. We'll wait for this one to win at a bigger venue before we take a

chance.

Main-track only entrant FUZZY BRITCHES (Pollard's Vision) would be a major

threat if the rains washed this off the lawn.