Princess Rooney

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Saturday's $350,00 Princess Rooney H. (G1) at Calder lost plenty of luster

when it was announced late in the week that likely odds-on favorite and dual

champion INDIAN BLESSING (Indian Charlie) did not ship to Miami and would be

scratched. The six-furlong contest now seems more wide open, with favoritism likely shifting to the Todd Pletcher-trained GAME FACE (Menifee), but we are

discouraged by that one's recent form and will look for an upset candidate.

JESSICA IS BACK (Put It Back), the latest in a long string of successful

claims by Marty Wolfson, appears to be improving at the right time and is a

viable candidate to notch her first stakes win. She spent much of last year and

the early part of this season running for tags in high-end allowance/optional

claimers up and down the East Coast. It was at Aqueduct on April 23 where

Wolfson snatched her up for $50,000 following a narrow defeat. Shipped

immediately to the trainer's Calder base, she knocked out an allowance victory

by a neck right off the bat, then ran an even second behind a loose-on-the-lead

MARINA BALLERINA (Outflanker) in the U Can Do It H., the local prep for the

Princess Rooney. If a little more pressure is applied to that rival this time,

we can see this one putting in a strong effort to prevail from just off the

pace.

Game Face started out her season strong, trading decisions with Any Limit

(Limit Out) through Gulfstream's three-race graded series for older filly

sprinters. Of those she notched the First Lady H. (G3) and Inside Information S.

(G2), but has looked rather flat in both the Humana Distaff (G1) and Vagrancy H.

(G2) in her last two, trailing a field of five in the latter. She certainly

could have had legitimate excuses for both reversals, but they are unknown to us

so we're inclined to try and beat her despite some strong recent works of late.

DUBAI MAJESTY (Essence of Dubai) has yet to register a triple-digit BRIS

Speed rating in her 20-start career, but she's versatile enough to adapt to

various pace scenarios and is proven capable of winning from wherever she

pleases. She exits a hard-fought score in the Winning Colors S. (G3) at

Churchill and is a three-time winner over the Calder strip from seven

appearances.

Marina Ballerina might have to contend with the likes of Dubai Majesty and/or

KEEP THE PEACE (Touch Gold) in the early stages, so we don't necessarily like

her chances to make it three wins in a row. We do admire her current form, however, and

she turned in a very strong effort two back when recovering from an early

stumble to win from off the pace in the Cool Air S. Nonetheless, provided she

breaks alertly, she will likely be on the lead, which may prove to be a

difficult position to win from this time.

Keep the Peace is a speedy filly who has twice as many seconds and thirds as

wins, and has just one victory from her last eight starts. A frequent

check-getter, she's a must-use in exotics, but we find others more likeable at a

price.

B R'S GIRL (Pulpit), who also hails from the Wolfson barn, would appear to

need a total meltdown to overtake this crew. Lately, she's acted more like a

mile specialist than a candidate in a sprint that carries Grade 1 status. PIOUS

ASHLEY (Include), the last of the Wolfson trio, exits a victory in the Valid

Expectations S. at Lone Start Park, but earned a 94 Speed rating, too mediocre to be considered a contender in this tougher spot. ORINOQUIA

(Whywhywhy) has not won in more than a year, though she throws in the occasional

good race. She was narrowly defeated by Jessica is Back in the aforementioned

allowance and also narrowly missed to the high-class Dream Rush (Wild Rush) late last year.

However, she's too inconsistent for us to back with any confidence.