Royal Highness meets Barancella in rescheduled Long Island

Beverly D. S. (G1) heroine ROYAL HIGHNESS (Ger) (Monsun) will tote the top

weight of 122 pounds in Sunday's $150,000 Long Island H. (G3) at Aqueduct, which

was originally scheduled for November 3. Racing was canceled that day, however,

when jockeys refused to ride because of high winds, and the 1 1/2-mile test was

postponed for eight days. All seven original entrants stood their ground when

the Long Island was redrawn, but one significant rival was added to the newly

constituted field in the shape of BARANCELLA (Fr) (Acatenango).

A Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed in France, Royal Highness made

her American debut in the 2006 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational S. (G1) and

finished a distant third to English Channel. Switched to Christophe Clement, the

bay made her first start for her new conditioner in last year's Long Island,

which was contested as a Grade 2 event. Despite rating off a dawdling pace, she

rallied to just miss by a half-length.

Royal Highness opened her 2007 campaign with a visually impressive score in

The Very One H. (G3), and in her second start after a layoff, she got up in time

to claim the prestigious Beverly D. She wasn't able to perform up to that level

in her only subsequent outing, the Flower Bowl Invitational S. (G1), and wound

up a disappointing sixth. Set to retire at the end of the season, Royal Highness

will try to rebound here with new rider Javier Castellano.

The Bobby Frankel-trained Barancella looms as the prime threat to a Royal

Highness resurgence. Two starts back, the Gary Tanaka colorbearer finally broke

through with her first stakes victory in the Fairway Flyer S. after a bevy of

placed efforts. Barancella has cracked the top three in such outstanding events

as the Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1), Garden City S.

(G1) and the past two runnings of the E.P. Taylor S. (Can-G1). John Velazquez

has been named to ride.

Tanaka's RISING CROSS (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire]), one of two English invaders,

will be coupled in the wagering with Barancella. Rising Cross has often raced at

distances well beyond this trip, and her biggest career score came in last

year's Park Hill S. (Eng-G2) in excess of 1 3/4 miles. Winless since then, the

John Best trainee has failed to hit the board from seven starts this season.

Eddie Castro will bid to turn things around for the dark bay.

Ed Dunlop will send out English listed victress DALVINA (GB) (Grand Lodge),

who faces a distance question. The chestnut sophomore's two best efforts have

come at 1 1/4 miles, a victory in the Pretty Polly S. in May and a third-place

effort in the Blandford S. (Ire-G2) last time out. Dalvina has been well beaten

in her three previous attempts at 1 1/2 miles, but she will try to stretch her

stamina over a kinder American course. Cornelio Velasquez picks up the mount.

Clement's other runner, GREEN GIRL (Fr) (Lord of Men), will lead the post

parade beneath a 115-pound impost that includes Alan Garcia. Next will come

Rising Cross, 115; Dalvina, 114; Barancella, 119; MY RACHEL (Horse Chestnut [SAf]),

Edgar Prado, 114; Royal Highness; MIRACLE MOMENT (Chester House), Eibar Coa,

114; and MARY LOUHANA (GB) (Loup Solitaire), Rajiv Maragh, 113.

The Long Island has been transplanted into the midst of Sunday's installment

of the New York Stallion Stakes series, with six stakes state-bred contests on

tap. Todd Pletcher's SPANKY FISCHBEIN (Hook and Ladder) headlines the $100,000

Great White Way division for juveniles at six furlongs, while smashing debut

maiden winner NOBLE FIRE (Hook and Ladder) leads Linda Rice's three-pronged team

for the $100,000

Fifth

Avenue, the companion division for two-year-old fillies.

Older sprinters will do battle over seven furlongs in the $75,000

Thunder Rumble division, where the stalwart GOLD AND ROSES (Gold Token) will

shed the blinkers in search of his eighth career stakes tally. In the $75,000

Staten Island division for distaffers, WAYTOTHELEFT (Abaginone) will hope

that a return to Aqueduct will spark a revival of her early-season form.

Both 1 1/16-mile turf events feature their respective defending champions.

RED ZIPPER (City Zip) is back to retain his title in the $75,000

Cormorant division, and ARTISTIC EXPRESS (Western Expression) will try to

keep her crown from the dangerous grasp of FACTUAL CONTENDER (Thunder Puddles)

in the $75,000

Perfect

Arc division.

The day's stakes action begins with an open-company contest for fillies and

mares, the $75,000

Smart

Angle S. The six-furlong dash has attracted such notable contenders as Grade

1 heroine SWAP FLIPAROO (Exchange Rate), Group 1/Grade 2 victress STORMY KISS (Arg)

(Bernstein) and multiple New York-bred stakes winner KARAKORUM STARLET (Skip

Away).