Regret J

AMERICAN GRADED STAKES

PREVIEWS

A near-capacity field of 13 three-year-old fillies will line up in Saturday's

$125,000 Regret S. (G3) at Churchill Downs, and the nine-furlong turf feature

has understandably come up a difficult handicapping puzzle. The choice is QUEEN

OF THE CREEK (Theatrical [Ire]), from the family of champion and dual classic

winner Big Brown, who we expect to rebound from her loss as the favorite in the

American One Thousand Guineas on May 22.

A maiden winner over the Churchill lawn in November, Queen of the Creek added

an allowance score on her seasonal reappearance at Keeneland, but found the pace

too slow to bid into in the one-mile Guineas at Arlington Park. We think the

fractions will be a bit stronger this time, and the filly will have an extra

furlong to work with and should relish the distance.

JOHARMONY (Johar) exits a convincing winner of the Hilltop S. at Pimlico, her

fourth consecutive victory. Her recent BRIS Late Pace ratings of 98, 101 and 102

are outstanding, and she's proven capable of kicking into overdrive no matter

how slow the early splits. Trainer Leigh Delacour has won with 30 percent of her

starters this season while campaigning primarily at Tampa Bay Downs and on the

Maryland circuit.

Ashland S. (G1) runner-up IT'S TEA TIME (Dynaformer) made no impact when

trying dirt for the first time in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), but she's a proven

commodity on grass having won her maiden over the Gulfstream sod in February.

The lightly-raced miss will be making only her fifth career start in the Regret,

but seems well placed to rebound for trainer Rusty Arnold.

GO ASK ALEX (Afleet Alex) is the primary speed in the field, but will be

asked to stretch that tactical advantage farther than she ever has before. A

dominant winner of the Indiana Downs Distaff over a mile two back, she faded

late to second in the American One Thousand Guineas despite having a comfortable

lead for seven furlongs. We'll stand against her taking this field gate-to-wire.

DYNAZAPER (Ghostzapper) captured the Edgewood S. at Churchill on April 29,

outrunning Canadian champion and subsequent Sands Point S. (G2) third Negligee

(Northern Afleet). The Bill Mott charge might indeed be this good, but perhaps

is eligible for regression off that peak turf performance as she'll be on or

close to the lead along with Go Ask Alex.

We have differing views on the class fillies JODY SLEW (Slew City Slew) and

BEAUTICIAN (Dehere). Jody Slew, a Grade 3 winner on dirt at Fair Grounds,

endured a very wide trip in her lone turf outing last fall, and might be better

on the surface than what she showed. However, her last two efforts in general

were abysmal. The multiple Grade 1-placed Beautician (Dehere), on the other

hand, will be making her turf debut. She's arguably overdue

for a confidence-building drop into the entry-level allowance ranks, but as long

as she continues to earn slices of graded black type that's unlikely to happen.

The remainder of the Regret field will be out to show they are more than

allowance-class fillies. AMBITIONESS (Action This Day) and SNOW TOP MOUNTAIN (Najran)

are both last-out allowance winners on the Matt Winn turf, while the connections

of LA GRAN BAILADORA (Afleet Alex), CAMINADORA (More Than Ready), QUEEN HAZEL

(Monarchos) and LAURA BABE (City Zip) are hoping for an upset with pupils that

have earned only minor checks in recent turf allowances.