Remsen

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

The $200,000 Remsen S. (G2) is one of three graded events at the Big A on

Saturday, and eight unproven but intriguing two-year-olds were entered for the 1

1/8-mile event. IDOL MAKER (Empire Maker) rolled to a good-looking victory when

making his career debut last time, surprising the betting public at 17-1 odds,

and we'll look for him to make it two for two at much shorter odds this time

around.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Idol Maker brought uninspiring works into his

career debut and looked like a youngster who may need time and more distance

before hitting his best stride. Instead, the dark bay colt came out running in

the one-mile test, registering an outstanding 95 BRIS Speed rating for his 1

1/2-length score, and he'll bring terrific promise into his stakes debut.

With his breeding, Idol Maker should relish the added ground, and he recorded a

strong five-furlong breeze in preparation for this start six days back. The

Kentucky-bred will pick up the services of Eibar Coa and should be sitting close

to the pace before offering his rally.

AMERICAN DANCE (A.P. Indy) gamely broke his maiden last time for Pletcher and

will receive first-time blinkers on Saturday. A half-brother to Horse of the

Year Saint Liam, the gray colt will lose the services of John Velazquez to

another rival, but he'll pick up Garrett Gomez and still looms as a potential

major player in his stakes bow. We'll go with a Pletcher exacta.

ATOMIC RAIN (Smart Strike) will make his first start since winning a five-furlong maiden event at Monmouth in early June. The Kelly Breen pupil is

bred to run long and appears to be training forwardly, and the competition isn't

too imposing on Saturday. We like the early price (12-1) and his Speed rating last

time (93), and we'll include Atomic Rain in the top three. Look for him to show

speed from the rail.

HOLD ME BACK (Giant's Causeway) will get Velazquez in the saddle for his dirt

debut, and the Bill Mott trainee will bring a two-for-two mark into his first

foray against stakes rivals. He's won his last two starts on the Polytrack at

Arlington Park and Keeneland, and while he's looked good doing it, there's

plenty of uncertainty as to how he'll handle the transition in surfaces. The WinStar

colorbearer remains a talented-looking prospect who will have no trouble with

the distance (both career starts have come around two turns), so consider for

the exotics.

OLD FASHIONED (Unbridled's Song) will be running from the start under Ramon

Dominguez, and the gray colt turned heads last time when winning by 15 1/2

lengths over allowance rivals at Delaware Park. The Larry Jones-trained colt is

certainly very promising and we've seen Delaware shippers make a seamless

transition in New York stakes this season, but the morning-line favorite won't

offer any value. We'll try to beat him at short odds.

RIP RAP (Harlan's Holiday) and AWESOME MICH (Awesome Again) knocked off

questionable company when winning at Philadelphia and

Meadowlands, respectively, and both look up against it here.

JAZZANDTHEMAGICIAN (Birdstone) is cross-entered to Saturday's Kentucky

Jockey Club S. (G2) and is expected to be scratched from this spot.