Miss Preakness J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Eight sophomore fillies will dash six furlongs in Friday's $100,000 Miss

Preakness S. (G3) at Pimlico. Grade 1 vixen MANI BHAVAN (Storm Boot) will be

making her three-year-old debut in this test and while we would not be

surprised to see her take this field gate to wire, we'll look for another with

more recent action.

GATORETTE (Distorted Humor) began her career with a pair of smashing

victories at

Gulfstream Park for conditioner David Fawkes, winning by a combined 15 lengths, and a

return to either one of those efforts should find her in the winner's circle

following this tilt. The Kentucky-bred bay showed brilliant speed in the

nine-furlong Bonnie Miss S. (G2) last out before retreating in the lane, but the

cutback in trip will surely aid the speedy miss. Regular pilot Eibar Coa

retains the mount.

HEART ASHLEY (Lion Heart) flashed good potential before delivering a strong

performance in her stakes debut last out, powering home a two-length winner in the Cicada S. (G3). The

Steve Asmussen pupil toppled a really nice filly at Aqueduct last time and has

been freshened for this engagement, which should help her avoid a potential

bounce from a career-best effort in which she earned a 105 BRIS Speed rating. Garrett Gomez will guide the filly, who should be just off

the early tempo turning for home.

Mani Bhavan proved to be the dominant sprinting filly in New York as a

freshman, rolling to front-running tallies in the Spinaway S. (G1) and

Adirondack S. (G2) for Steve Klesaris. The brilliant miss didn't fare well in

her lone route race, however, fading to last in the Alciabiades S. (G1), but we're

willing to forgive her for that since it was contested on Polytrack. Alan Garcia

will ride the logical win candidate.

BOLD UNION (Dixie Union) looked good in her seasonal debut after a productive

juvenile campaign, and the filly has been working lights out for Kelly Breen.

The bay miss took the Astoria S. last year by 9 3/4 lengths and went off favored

in the Adirondack, so the talent is there. We think that the Kentucky-bred is

another contender in this deep race.

SNOW LASS (Stormy Atlantic) could be any type and is a mystery horse in

here for Lynne Scace. The unbeaten miss has dominated three fields in succession

to start her career, including a convincing triumph in the Sophomore Fillies S.

most recently. We're a touch concerned that the Florida-bred hasn't run anywhere

but Tampa Bay Downs in her career, but she is razor sharp and could be the one

from the widest post.

CINDERELLA'S WISH (Speightstown) could turn out to be a sensational claim if

one race is any indication. Snagged for $40,000 from her career debut at

Keeneland, she followed it with an eight-length

allowance score at Pimlico in her last outing. Trained by Mark Shuman, the

unbeaten lass obviously adores this oval, drilling a bullet half-mile in :47

recently, so we must consider her an

exotics threat with slight improvement.

TROPHY COLLECTOR (Strong Hope) jumped up to earn a 99 BRIS Speed figure in

her allowance win last out at Laurel for the ever-dangerous Rodney Jenkins. The

Virginia-bred bay has never been worse than second and is seemingly peaking, but

we have no clue what she has run against and will restrict her usage to the

gimmicks. The once-promising MISS OCEAN CITY (Mineshaft) has gone awry, failing to hit

the board in four straight following a fine maiden win at Saratoga. She can't be

used in this affair.