Santa Ana

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

With minor checks earned last fall in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf

(G1) and Matriarch S. (G1), VISIT (GB) (Oasis Dream [GB]) appears to be the

class of Sunday's $150,000 Santa Ana H. (G2) at Santa Anita and is our selection

to get her first stateside victory.

The nine furlongs of his this turf event perhaps is a bit farther than ideal

for the Juddmonte homebred, but she fared well going 10 furlongs in the

Breeders' Cup, bidding from behind a slow pace to grab the lead with a furlong

to go before tiring to fourth, 1 1/2 lengths in back of Forever Together (Belong

to Me). She was hindered again by a slow pace in the Matriarch, and could only

rally to finish 1 1/4 lengths third in that one-mile heat. She kicked off 2009

with a start in the Santa Maria H. (G1) on Pro-Ride, and though favored, did not

appear to take to the synthetic surface. We like her chances on the return to

grass Sunday.

The greatest success achieved by BEL AIR SIZZLE (Unusual Heat) has come in

races restricted to California-breds, a dead-heat victory in the Valentine

Dancer H. two back being one example. However, the dark bay placed four times in

graded company last season, most notably a runner-up finish in the Del Mar Oaks

(G1), so she is capable of garnering a piece of this. The deep closer will need

some luck to maneuver her way through the pack, and unfortunately loses Garrett

Gomez to Visit in this.

SATAN'S CIRCUS (Gone West), runner-up in the American Oaks (G1) last summer,

has struggled in three subsequent starts. However, the Patrick Biancone charge

likely needed her latest following a six-month break, and it was a downhill turf

sprint which is shorter than she needs.

BELMONT CAT (NZ) (Felix the Cat) won her U.S. debut at Hollywood in a

December 3 allowance, but could not quicken after tracking in second behind a

slow pace in the San Gorgonio H. (G2) in her latest. We think she can fare

better if allowed to make one big run from slightly off the pace. SHARP SUSAN

(Touch Gold) has not lived up to her name for much of the past year. She's been

out of the money in six of her last seven, broken up only by a stakes score at

Philadelphia Park. The five-year-old has some back class, but seems to be going

in the wrong direction. IN MY GLORY (Honour and Glory) is the likely pacesetter

and could go a long way if allowed to set easy fractions. She held third in the

Dahlia H. (G2) two back employing such a strategy.

EISSOAI (Brz) (Roi Normand) has yet to reproduce her best Brazilian form in

four starts in this country. EXQUISITE (NZ) (Golan [Ire]) is a possible threat

to keep In My Glory honest, but in general has struggled to pass her available

allowance conditions. Reports have suggested trainer John Sadler will withdraw

DAWN AFTER DAWN (Successful Appeal) and instead point her toward the Las

Cienegas H. (G3) or Wilshire H. (G3).