Obeah J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Eight fillies and mares will go nine furlongs at Delaware Park on Saturday

in the $125,000 Obeah S. (G3). Defending champ UNBRIDLED BELLE (Broken Vow) was

last seen finishing fifth in the Louisville Distaff S. (G2), but we're willing

to forgive that effort and tab the six-year-old for the win in here. Trained by

Todd Pletcher, the dark bay lass has four wins in six tries over this oval and

loves a route of ground, so we expect a vast turn around from her latest endeavor.

Richard Migliore will get his first ride atop the Kentucky-bred.

Dual Grade 2 queen SKYLIGHTER (Sky Mesa) is the lone filly in the group and

is arguably the one to beat for Bobby Frankel. The underrated four-year-old

has really come along over the past year, winning four of six races, led by the Allaire DuPont Distaff H. (G2) in her most recent showing and

the Indiana Oaks (G2) last October. Her best puts her right there beneath Mike Smith.

Wayward Lass S. queen STRIKING TOMISUE (Smart Strike), who is cross-entered

to a listed event at Belmont on Sunday, has been outrun in her

latest graded tries for Nick Zito, but the Kentucky-bred is interesting from

a pace standpoint in this field. Equipped with natural gate speed, the bay has a

good chance to grab the rail and lead into the first turn, and while she's not

as accomplished as many of her foes, a soft tempo could carry her to a nice

payday at a decent price.

TELL IT AS IT IS (Chester House) won a pair of stakes at Woodbine last

campaign and ranks second in BRIS Prime Power (140.7) for conditioner James Smith.

The bay miss has little experience running on dirt, having just raced twice on

it, but her closing third in the Fall City H. (G2) measures up to most in here.

Jeremy Rose will break from the rail atop the five-year-old.

Delaware lover ALL NIGHT LABOR (Double Honor) has finished first or second in

11 of 15 local tries for Randy Nunley, so the mare is an obvious exotics threat

on this day. Second to a nice one in the Monmouth Beach S. in her last one, the

Florida-bred has good early foot and should have a chance turning for home if

she's up to the task. Peruvian import MORENA (Per) (Privately Held) rolled to a trio of group wins

in succession by 40 1/4 lengths and will make her U.S. bow in here for new

trainer Michael Matz. The wildcard mare has won 10 of her 15 starts, all on

dirt, and hails from a sharp barn. We'd suggest watching the board for some

insight.

YOU ASKED (Yes It's True) has never run this far and was always thought of by

us as a one-turn closer, so we're going to omit the mare from the mix on this

occasion. ALL SMILES (Awesome Again) has never placed in three tries over this oval and

is not in career form, so it's hard to tab the Maryland-bred for anything more

than a minor award.