Sorrento

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Eight juvenile fillies will contest Friday's $150,000 Sorrento S. (G3) at Del

Mar, including the streaking FINAL MESA (Sky Mesa), who has reeled off three

straight impressive wins to open her racing career. She loves Polytrack,

recording a 7 1/2-length maiden score at Keeneland and a 7 3/4-length thrashing

in the My Dear S. at Woodbine, and the quick miss is the only member of the

field with a triple-digit BRIS Early Pace number to her credit. Trainer Wesley

Ward excels with youngsters and the bay filly will pick up the services of

leading rider Joel Rosario. We'll tab her wire to wire.

DAWNIE MACHO (Macho Uno) is a serious threat for John Sadler. She scored by

five lengths when making her career bow over Arlington's Polytrack, setting a

new track record for 4 1/2 furlongs at that venue, and made a

successful transition to Southern California racing in the Landaluce S. at

Hollywood Park, winning wire to wire in her first start for Sadler. The

chestnut brings commendable BRIS Speed and Pace numbers into the Sorrento and is

eligible to keep improving for her savvy conditioner. She should be there to

pick up the pieces if our top choice falters.

ALIENATION (Rock Hard Ten) got up by a nose to win her career debut on

Hollywood's turf last time and will make her stakes and synthetic bow here for

Bob Baffert. The runner-up from her last start, Pedaltothemedal (Medallist),

came back to post an easy maiden win over the Polytrack earlier this meet, and

Alienation should have no difficulty making the transition from turf to

Polytrack. The promising filly should get plenty of pace in front and figures to

launch a rally with Russell Baze. She looks like a viable candidate to us for a

share and could offer a little value.

The Baffert-trained A Z WARRIOR (Bernardini) will have go-to rider Martin

Garcia up and should show speed from the start. She registered a good-looking,

wire-to-wire victory when making her first career start at Hollywood last time

and shows a couple of solid drills over the surface. The dark bay will be

spotting an experience edge to her main rivals, but we can't dismiss her chances

for a top-three placing.

IZSHELEGAL (Maria's Mon), who finished a close second when making her career

bow in the Landaluce last time, will attempt to become the second straight filly

to break her maiden in the Sorrento (the retired Mi Sueno was victorious in 2009).

Trained by Terry Knight, the gray received a 99 BRIS Late Pace rating last time

and will look to make a stretch impact here with Victor Espinoza. We'll use the

confirmed closer on the bottom of some tickets, but we feel she'll be better at

longer distances.

SHE'LL HEIR (Wildcat Heir) won her career bow at Keeneland and captured the

Cinderella S. at Hollywood in her first start for Vladimir Cerin. The dark bay

came up a short in the Landaluce, weakening to fourth after a perfect stalking

trip, and has never earned a BRIS Speed rating better than 85. We'll let her

beat us from the rail. BELLEOFTHEBRIDLE (Yes It's True) has placed in a couple

of stakes races, but we'll watch to see how she handles the class check here.

WICKEDLY PERFECT (Congrats) defeated a questionable field last time in her

career bow and we'll give her a race against winners.