Royal Heroine

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A competitive field of nine has been entered in Sunday's $200,000 Royal

Heroine S. (G3) at Hollywood Park, and it's hard to pick a winner from this

talented group. Six of the nine are coming off wins or runner-up finishes in

their last starts, and we're going with MEA DOMINA (Dance Brightly) to earn her

second straight with this mile grass test.

Trained by Ron McAnally, the bay four-year-old captured the Gamely Breeders'

Cup H. (G1) last out over the course by a half-length after leading from gate to

wire. She earned a nice 103 BRIS Speed rating and a stellar 113 BRIS E2 Pace

figure for that effort, and has been working well in the interim. Mea Domina

owns five wins from six starts on the green and looks to add another score to

that record under Tyler Baze on Sunday.

PICKLE (GB) (Piccolo) could easily take this one and offer a good price at

the same time. Listed at 6-1 on the morning-line, the Sanford Shulman charge has

won three of her four U.S. starts so far, the most recent two coming in the

Wilshire H. (G3) and Yerba Buena Breedes' Cup H. (G3). The dark bay miss has

garnered nothing but triple-digit Speed ratings since making her debut stateside

and could make it three in a row with Victor Espinoza assuming piloting duties

for the first time.

VALENTINE DANCER (In Excess [Ire]) hasn't finished off the board from five

starts this season, most recently running second in the Distaff H. (G3) at Lone

Star Park. She came from off the pace to miss in that one, and has been working

well since then, getting five furlongs in :59 2/5 on June 24 at Santa Anita to

prepare for this one. The Craig Lewis trainee could find herself in the winner's

circle on Sunday with Jon Court atop.

INTERCONTINENTAL (GB) (Danehill) captured her biggest win stateside over

Hollywood's turf, taking the Matriarch S. (G1) in her final start as a

four-year-old last season. She returned to take the Jenny Wiley S. (G3) for the

second straight year and last out was second in the Just a Game Breeders' Cup H.

(G2). The Bobby Frankel-conditioned bay will be tough to deny here with regular

rider Jerry Bailey in the irons.

FENCELINENEIGHBOR (Wild Rush) is another who could challenge at a good price.

The dark bay five-year-old has done her best running on the green and readied

for this one with a nice second in the Tranquility Lake S. most recently. She'll

be tough in the exotics. TICKER TAPE (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]) captured two

Grade 1s last year, including the American Oaks (G1), but is looking to rebound

off an off-the-board finish in the Distaff Turf Mile S. (G3) at Churchill Downs

on May 7. She could show more here while making her second start off a long

break. Consider for the gimmicks.

NAVAJA (NZ) (Daggers Drawn) owns lower numbers than others in here, but could

grab part if she continues to improve. IRGUNETTE (Aus) (Irgun) looks out of her

class against these. We can't recommend. SECRET CHARM (Ire) (Green Desert) will

be making her U.S. debut here as well as her first start of the year. We'll

watch for now.