Santa Maria

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A field of nine fillies and mares will line up for the $250,000 Santa Maria

H. (G1) at Santa Anita on Saturday. STAR PARADE (Arg) (Parade Marshal) exits a

disappointing turf effort in the San Gorgonio H. (G2) early last month, but

should improve with a return to the main track here. The seven-year-old mare is

proficient at 1 1/16 miles, posting a 4-3-1 record over 12 starts. The Darrell

Vienna trainee put in a good effort to win the Bayakoa H. (G2) at Hollywood Park

two back and figures to do well here under jockey Martin Pedroza.

HOLLYWOOD STORY (Wild Rush) is unraced since finishing eighth in the

Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) and has not posted a victory since capturing the

Hawthorne H. (G3) last May. The John Shirreffs charge doesn't have the best

record at Santa Anita, but a speedy field, as well as the addition of hot jockey

Garrett Gomez, should work to this closer's advantage. Look for this one to make a late

run at the wire to put her in contention.

PROPOSED (Benchmark) comes off a nice victory in the El Encino S. (G2) over

this same surface. She earned a career-topping BRIS Speed figure of 104 for that

effort, chasing just off the pace before taking over in the stretch to win by 2 1/2 lengths. The four-year-old filly has emerged

victorious in five of her last seven starts since switching to the shedrow of Shirreffs

and should do well under Patrick Valenzuela.

SKIPPING COURT (Doneraile Court) has posted a slew of runner-up finishes,

coming home second in five of her last six tries. She was a decent fourth

in her graded stakes debut in the El Encino last out for conditioner Doug

O'Neill, and should improve off that effort here. Kent Desormeaux returns to the

saddle.

HEALTHY ADDICTION (Boston Harbor) exits a score in the Paseana S., defeating

fellow rival MUSICA SI (Chi) (Malek [Chi]). Healthy Addiction will be among the

early runners and she has had success against a pressured pace before. We'll use

her in the bottom of the gimmicks.

Musica Si should improve in her second start for trainer Richard Mandella,

especially considering that her third in the Paseana was her U.S. debut. She has a good trainer/jockey

combination in Mandella and Alex Solis. SHARP LISA (Dixieland Band) has not

shown much since winning the Las Virgenes S. (G1) last

February, but she should improve while stretching out in her third start off the

layoff.

Although having proven a sharp sprinter thus far, SEAFREE (Chief Seattle)

will be stretching out to two turns for the first time and will also

be facing a class check. We will just watch for now. HEAVENLY HUMOR (Distorted

Humor) won her last race at 1 1/16 miles, but that was at Bay Meadows in May of

2004, and she has been running in sprints ever since. She may not be able to see

out the trip in this kind of company.