Potrero Grande BC J

A compact field of five will head postward to contest the $200,000 Potrero

Grande Breeders' Cup H. (G2) at Santa Anita on Sunday. Likely favorite SURF CAT

(Sir Cat) is coming off a stellar performance in winning the San Carlos H. (G2),

and anything resembling that effort will likely find the four-year-old in the

winner's circle here. Trained by Bruce Headley, the dark bay towers over this

field in class and should find no problems in cutting back to 6 1/2 furlongs.

Alex Solis will pilot the certain favorite.

AREYOUTALKINTOME (Smokester) loves the Santa Anita oval, evidenced by his

10-6-3-1 lifetime mark locally. The five-year-old gelding was unplaced in a

recent turf fray but returns to the surface he loves. The rail draw could be

quite advantageous to the dark bay, as he could attempt to take the field

gate-to-wire. A logical pace scenario is all this hard-trying gelding needs to

challenge for the win.

OCEANUS (Brz) (Rainbow Corner [GB]) doesn't find the winner's circle very

often, but is the type you would be wise to use to complete the exotics.

Conditioned by A.C. Avila, the seven-year-old was third in the San Carlos two

prior and would benefit the most from a rapid early pace. We'll not sure he'll

get the necessary tempo up front to help set up his late kick, but we still

think he'll be good enough to complete the trifecta.

GRINDING IT OUT (Grindstone) is improving at the right time and should

challenge for a placing here. The six-year-old bay has reeled off two

straight wins since adding front wraps (something you won't encounter very

often), and showed strong determination in winning an allowance tilt on Big 'Cap

Day. Jose Valdivia Jr. will have the riding assignment.

KEEP ON PUNCHING (Silver Deputy) hasn't been seen since December when

unplaced in the Native Diver H. (G3) for trainer Anthony Saavedra. The bay has

excelled at distances longer than this, and although he didn't pick the most

difficult assignment for his 2006 bow, we'd still prefer to watch one.