Stars set to shine in Davona Dale

A stellar field of eight sophomore fillies has been entered in

Saturday's $150,000

Davona Dale S. (G2) at Gulfstream Park, and the one-turn mile event

will be the highly anticipated stakes debut for two of the runners. The

connections of COMIC MARVEL (Distorted Humor) and CHRISTINE DAAE

(Giant's Causeway) have been talking up their fillies for some time, and

the pair will have to live up to all the hype if they hope to challenge

against this group.

Comic Marvel is undefeated from two career starts following nice maiden and

allowance wins, and is looking to establish her credentials as a legitimate

Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender. The same can be said for Christine Daae, who

proved her dislike for all-weather tracks with a well-beaten fourth last July at

Hollywood Park. She returned on January 15 at Gulfstream and proceeded to break

her maiden by 8 3/4 lengths against nine rivals. Trainer Bill Mott will give a

leg up to jockey John Velazquez on Comic Marvel, while Corey Nakatani has the

call on Christine Daae.

BICKERSONS (Silver Deputy) will be trying a stretch out once again

following a seven-length domination of the Forward Gal S. (G2) on

January 31. That seven-furlong event featured the return of champion and

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) heroine She Be Wild (Offlee Wild),

but it was the Kelly Breen-trained Bickersons who stole the show from

the beginning. The dark bay lass led nearly every step of the way and

was under a hand ride from Joe Bravo as she easily pulled away in the

stretch.

All of Bickersons' prior stretch-out attempts occurred on the

synthetic tracks in California, and they produced some dismal results.

The three-year-old will have to prove that it was the all-weather, and

not the distance, if she hopes to maintain her status as a legitimate

Kentucky Oaks contender.

SASSY IMAGE (Broken Vow) will be looking to add a fourth straight stakes win

to her line when breaking from the outermost post in the Davona Dale. The Dale

Romans-conditioned miss has already verified her ability to handle both a

distance of ground and a dirt track when taking the Pocahontas S. (G3) and

Golden Rod S. (G2), both at Churchill Downs, last year. She was set to make her

seasonal bow on Gulfstream's turf in the January 17 Sweetest Chant S., but the

one-mile test was rained off the grass and moved to the main track. Sassy Image

didn't let the sloppy conditions faze her, though, as she drew off to score by 4

1/2 lengths on the line. Robby Albarado has been aboard for her past three

victories, and the duo will stick together here.

MAMBO FEVER's (Stormin Fever) only prior stakes experience came as a rallying

second in the Tempted S. (G3) at Aqueduct in November. The dark bay returned on

January 31 to fill that spot once again, this time behind Comic Marvel in an

allowance, and will keep Jeremy Rose in the irons.