Monmouth Oaks

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A competitive field of 10 three-year-old fillies has been entered in

Saturday's $200,000 Monmouth Oaks (G3), and we're tabbing JUST JENDA (Menifee)

to add a second graded win to her resume. The Larry Jones trainee has racked up

five wins from nine lifetime starts, finishing off-the-board only once during

that time. She captured the Honeybee S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park earlier this year,

then was third in the Fantasy S. (G2) and second in the Eight Belles S. (G3)

before getting the first real break of her career. The chestnut miss rewarded

that vacation by returning to dominate her foes by 8 1/4 lengths in the Serena's

Song S. last out over the track. Gabriel Saez, aboard for her Honeybee victory,

will retake the mount on Just Jenda for this one.

HIGHTAP (Tapit) is yet another ultra-consistent performer in this field. The

Steve Asmussen charge posted nice wins in the one-mile Dogwood S. (G3) and 8

1/2-furlong Iowa Oaks (G3) prior to running a well-beaten sixth in the Coaching

Club American Oaks (G1) while stretching out to 1 1/4 miles. The gray lass will

probably relish the cutback in distance to 1 1/16 miles here, and her BRIS

numbers are on par with the other top runners in this race. Hightap's only other

off-the-board placing came in the Honeybee against Just Jenda, and she could

turn the tables this time around with regular rider Shaun Bridgmohan in the

saddle.

MALIBU PRAYER (Malibu Moon) equalled Just Jenda's field/career-best 101 BRIS

Speed rating last out when running second in the Delaware Oaks (G2) going 8 1/2

furlongs. That followed another second in the Mother Goose S. (G1), and while

the Todd Pletcher runner was far back of the winner on those days, she was

easily best of the rest. The bay filly has recorded two wins in her career,

breaking her maiden by 13 lengths and scoring against allowance rivals by 7 1/4

lengths. This company appears much more suitable to Malibu Prayer's talent

level, and she'll challenge for it all under Chris DeCarlo.

SEA WIND (Northern Afleet) could jump up and surprise everyone in her stakes

bow. The William Entenmann-trained chestnut broke her maiden at Delaware Park,

took a first-level allowance at that same track, then was switched to turf at

Penn National and added yet another allowance win to her record. She garnered a

102 BRIS Late Pace figure for that latter victory, and will probably be a nice

value play under Jose Caraballo. MISSUNITEDNATIONS (Peace Rules) was third in

the Delaware Oaks most recently, 3 1/4 lengths back of Malibu Prayer, and could

find another top-three finish here. That was her first black-type placing and

the chestnut miss has been working bullets over the track of late in preparation for

this engagement. Eddie Castro has the call.

SWEET RELISH (Smoke Glacken) has blossomed since being switched to the dirt

from the Polytrack. The Donnie Von Hemel trainee broke her maiden and captured

the Cinemine S. before running a nice second while stretching out to 1 1/16

miles in the Iowa Oaks last out. She had to rally five wide in that one, and a

cleaner trip this time around could see her in the exotics once again. BANDORA

(Dixieland Band) just missed second by a head in the Serena's Song and is a very

reliable runner. The bay filly could grab a share under Elvis Trujillo.

ORO BLANCO (Hold For Gold) rallied to be a non-threatening second in the

Serena's Song last out, and was well-beaten fifths in her two prior to that

race. We'll let her beat us. RENDA (Medaglia d'Oro) and STAGE TRICK (Distorted

Humor) may not be able to keep up with these.