Red Bank J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

A collection of grizzled veterans and relatively fresh faces will meet in

Saturday's $150,000 Red Bank S. (G3), the last graded turf stakes of the

Monmouth meeting, though not the last significant race of its kind should Big

Brown (Boundary) appear in the newly created Monmouth Turf S. on September 13.

Our selection for the Red Bank is WHEELS UP AT NOON (Outflanker), the

four-year-old Doug Fout trainee who has captured the Eight Thirty S. and Caesar

Rodney S. in his two starts this season at Delaware Park.

Though unplaced in his two previous graded attempts at odds of 90-1 and 34-1,

respectively, Wheels Up At Noon is riding a three-race winning streak and has

performed well against graded quality company in the past. He was beaten less

than three lengths by subsequent multiple Grade 2 winner Red Giant (Giant's

Causeway) over this course last year, finished three lengths behind Nobiz Like

Showbiz in the Kent S. (G3) at Delaware, and last out defeated veteran Grade 2

winner Silver Tree (Hennessy), who returned to capture the Oceanport S. (G3)

over the Monmouth lawn in his next start. We'll side with relative youth and

solid current form in this one-mile contest.

GIANT WRECKER (Giant's Causeway) is not very consistent about reaching the

winner's circle, having last won in February 2007. However, after shaking off

some of the rust accumulated from a long layoff in the July 5 Da Hoss S., he

again showed his fondness for the Monmouth turf with a near wire-to-wire score

in the Oceanport, falling short to Silver Tree by a neck. His mark on the local

sod is 5-3-1-0, and we think he can reproduce that form here.

HOTSTUFANTHENSOME (Awesome Again), runner-up in this race two years ago

behind eventual champion Miesque's Approval, has rebounded of late after falling

into the claiming ranks earlier this year. His near 10-1 placing in the

Oceanport, where he was a half-length third, was his best race in some time

against a decent field and he earned a strong 101 BRIS Late Pace figure, evidence he

could put in a strong rally with the right set-up.

ICY ATLANTIC (Stormy Atlantic) won this race by a neck a year ago, but the

seven-year-old appears to have lost a step since that victory. He's been off

since a third-place effort in the Elkwood S. on May 24, which did not attract a

stellar group. FAGEDABOUTIT SAL (Yarrow Brae) led gate-to-wire in the Bob

Harding S. at 39-1 two back in his only start on grass. He might be dangerous

again if allowed an easy lead, but there appears to be enough other pace

elements to make that somewhat unlikely. BUFFALO MAN (El Prado [Ire]) got his

turf career off to a good start last winter in Florida, culminating with a win

in the Appleton H. (G3), but his form since then has been rather unimpressive.

He was a non-threatening fifth in the Oceanport.

JOHN'S PIC (Awad) is the least attractive of those likely to start on grass

with several minor awards in turf sprints being his only selling point.

Main-track-only candidate SHOPTON LANE (Quiet American) probably advances to the

top of the list should this race be transferred to the dirt as he has good speed

and plenty of class and staying power to prevail. The other main-track-only,

BRILLIANT SON (Stormin Fever), was stakes-placed in his seasonal debut at

Saratoga and twice earned triple-digit BRIS Speed ratings last year.