Old Hat J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

A sharp field of 10 three-year-old fillies will dash 6 1/2 furlongs in the

$150,000 Old Hat S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, and we feel the need to

look for an upsetter in this competitive affair. We like MELISSA JO (Fusaichi

Pegasus) from the barn of Jimmy Jerkens. The chestnut speedster defeated a fine

field when breaking her maiden two back and put in a good showing when third in

the nine-furlong Demoiselle S. (G2) last out. The Kentucky-bred miss has trained

well in South Florida leading up to this affair and should get a nice trip just

off the pace before unleashing her late run beneath Kent Desormeaux.

ELUSIVE LADY (Van Nistelrooy), second as the favorite in the Demoiselle,

impressively took the one-turn Tempted S. (G3) two back and could be the one for

John Kimmel. The gray filly broke her maiden over eventual stakes winner THROBBIN' HEART

(Smoke Glacken) going short and has a world of tactical speed, so she should be

in a good spot entering the turn under Eibar Coa. The Florida-bred scorched a

bullet half-mile in :47 over this main oval recently, so she should be ready.

INDY'S ALEXANDRA (Flatter) has yet to be tested from three dominant wins in

the Sunshine State for Marty Wolfson. The Kentucky-bred was an easy winner of

the Three Ring S. last out and should benefit from the cut back in distance in

here. The dark bay has proven capable of rating in her two sprint races, so she

should enjoy an advantageous stalking trip en route to the stretch. Elvis Trujillo will be in the irons.

Throbbin' Heart has won two straight in fine fashion, including a facile

score in the Xtra Heat S. last out for conditioner Steve Asmussen. The gray miss

has plenty of gate speed and should be prominent from the go, but we feel that

the early pressure that she is likely to receive could make her weary late.

Edgar Prado has the call.

GAME FACE (Menifee) romped versus two subsequent winners last out and has

trained forwardly for Todd Pletcher. The chestnut miss was an expensive

two-year-old purchase and has yet to run a bad one, so she's a logical exotics

threat if she gets a good trip from the far outside post.

CAPE COD LADY (Yonaguska) has earned respectable BRIS Speed figures in her

last three and has shown a nice rating tactic in each, so she could rally into

the top four with slight improvement. We liked COZY MESA (Sky Mesa) in her

recent score, but the dark bay steps up in class here for conditioner D. Wayne

Lukas. Lukas has been hot in the early stages of the meet and this one could get

a nice trip from off the pace, so she's another to throw into your vertical

exotics.

LOVELY ISLE (Double Honor) has romped to a pair of nice wins versus lesser at

Aqueduct and switches to the barn of Richard Dutrow in her debut for her new

owners. The dark bay posted a huge 16 1/2-length win while favored most recently, but

endured a dream trip along the rail over the inner dirt and we don't

trust that last effort. We'll pass. Sorority S. vixen A LITTLE GEM (Yonaguska) looked terrible at Calder last out

in her prep for this and can't be recommended from this corner. ORINOQUIA (Whywhywhy)

took a first-level allowance at Calder last out but looks a cut below these.