Shuvee J

Sunday's $150,000 Shuvee H. (G2) has drawn only a five-horse field, but

there's no shortage of intrigue in the one-mile test at Belmont Park, as it

marks the first meeting of last year's champion three-year-old filly, SMUGGLER

(Unbridled), and her later developing contemporary, INDIAN VALE (A.P. Indy), who

ended the season with brilliant victories against older mares. Smuggler already

has a race under her belt in 2006, which may prove a decisive advantage over the

returning Indian Vale. On the other hand, Smuggler is giving away weight to

Indian Vale and each of her other rivals, so it's no easy matter to split this

talented pair.

We'll side with Smuggler, principally because she offers better value at 7-2

on the morning line and holds the home court advantage at Belmont. She's

captured four of five starts at that gigantic oval, including her two most

important wins in the 2005 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Mother Goose S.

(G1). Her only loss here was a better-than-it-looked second to Round Pond

(Awesome Again) in the one-mile Acorn S. (G1), in which she was just a head

behind the leader through a wicked six furlongs in 1:09 3/5, was passed, yet

came again for runner-up honors, recording a 108 BRIS Speed rating in the

process. She enjoyed more suitable tracking trips in her next two and took full

advantage to score decisively. We suspect that some may abandon her in the wake

of her flat reappearance in the Bed o' Roses Breeders Cup H. (G2) at Aqueduct,

when she trailed throughout and checked in last of five. She's a stout filly and

probably needed a stiff seven-furlong race to get her fit. Moreover, although

the track condition was labeled fast, it had absorbed a lot of moisture and

looked off to the naked eye. She may not have really reveled in it or allowed

herself to stride out in it. With plenty of early pace in the Shuvee, regular

rider Edgar Prado should be able to give Smuggler her favored stalk-and-pounce

trip, and we'll look for the Shug McGaughey trainee to emulate her dam, champion

Inside Information (Private Account), who won the 1995 Shuvee.

Indian Vale hasn't raced since her dynamic 6 1/2-length romp in the Falls

City H. (G2) at Churchill Downs last November. She earned a 110 Speed rating for

that effort, nearly as good as her career best (112) awarded for a 1 1/8-mile

Saratoga allowance win, much the highest in this field. The winner of five of

six lifetime starts, she will get three pounds from Smuggler. The Todd Pletcher

filly has been working sharply in advance of her reappearance, posting bullet

five-furlong moves in her last two pieces of exercise, and her trainer has an

incredible strike rate of 29 percent with runners returning from layoffs in

excess of 90 days. While Indian Vale is eminently qualified to land the spoils

here, she's 2-5 on the morning line, and she's raced exclusively at two turns

since breaking her maiden. Cutting back to an unfamiliar one turn, she might not

be seen at her best. Garrett Gomez will partner her for the first time.

TAKE D' TOUR (Tour d'Or) looms as a live longshot at 12-1. She's a perfect

four-for-four at the trip, and most significantly, she's coming off two blow-out

victories at the one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park. The David Fawkes trainee has

turned in two straight bullet five-furlong drills over the deep Calder track and

is dead fit. With new jockey Cornelio Velasquez in the irons, the five-year-old

shapes up to be the frontrunner here, and considering that speedy types are

enjoying an advantage this meet, she should hang on for a share. GRECIAN LOVER

(Friendly Lover) ran a magnificent race in defeat in the Bed o' Roses. After

stumbling at the start, she rushed up to track the pace intently while wide and

just failed by a neck to overhaul the hot Magnolia Jackson (Cape Canaveral). The

four-year-old represents the ever dangerous Allen Jerkens, and the "Giant

Killer" could strike again here at 8-1.

BALLETTO (UAE) (Timber Country) has loads of back class as a juvenile Grade 1

winner, but she was sidelined for 17 months before finishing a poor fourth in a

Gulfstream allowance/optional claimer behind Take D' Tour in March. She's been

working well ever since for Tom Albertrani, and she'll certainly improve in this

second start back. The big questions are how much, and whether she'll be able to

return to her best. We'd love to see the Balletto of old, but we'd feel safer

watching for now.