Suwannee River J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

A contentious field of 12 turf distaffers has been entered to go 1 1/8 miles

over Gulfstream Park's turf in Sunday's $100,000 Suwannee River H. (G3). GREEN

GIRL (Fr) (Lord of Men) is still looking for her first U.S. win, but could

break through with a victory here. The Christophe Clement-trained mare

immediately began competing against graded rivals when making her North American

bow, and ended 2007 with a game runner-up effort in the La Prevoyante H. (G2) at

Calder. The six-year-old veteran has spent her last three races going 12

furlongs, and could relish the cutback in this one. Green Girl earned a 97 BRIS

Speed rating for her last race and will get a rider switch to Rene Douglas here.

J'RAY (Distant View) just missed by a neck in this race last year and will

try to improve by one spot on Sunday. That was the multiple Grade 3-winning

chestnut's only start over Gulfstream's turf, but she shows two wins and a

second from five tries at the distance. One of those victories came in the My

Charmer H. (G3) most recently, and the Todd Pletcher charge has finished worse

than second only twice from her past nine efforts. J'ray always gives her all

and could overhaul our top pick on the line to pick up a second straight score.

Eibar Coa picks up the mount.

BEL AIR BEAUTY (Smart Strike) was a 2 1/2-length winner of the Valley View S.

(G3) at Keeneland in October, then ran just 3 1/4 lengths back of the winner

when seventh in the Mrs. Revere S. (G2) most recently. The Frank Brothers

trainee has been competitive in all four of her turf tries and could continue

that trend here with another victory. Edgar Prado has the call.

DANCE AWAY CAPOTE (Capote), winner of the Noble Damsel H. (G3) in

mid-September, returns here off a fifth in the November 25 Matriarch S. (G1) and

could find this bunch much more to her liking. The gray six-year-old earned a

stellar 106 Speed figure for her Noble Damsel victory and would find herself

getting her picture taken at the end of this one if she runs back to that form

under Javier Castellano.

Grade 3-placed MY RACHEL (Horse Chestnut [SAf]) is still seeking her first

black-type win and would be more likely to show up in the exotics than the

winner's circle here. The chestnut mare led for a brief time in the stretch of

the La Prevoyante most recently, but couldn't hold off the top three on that

day, ending up fourth by two lengths. HERBORISTE (GB) (Hernando [Fr]), fifth in

the La Prevoyante, was a 1 1/2-length winner of a Keeneland turf allowance two

back, and is another who could round out the top three. WAQUOIT'S LOVE (Not for

Love) is making her stakes debut in this spot off two straight allowance scores.

The more recent of those came over this course going a mile, and the gray mare

may find herself with a top-three finish in her first try.

Two-time stakes winner LA DOLCE VITA (Quiet American) has been close, but not

in the money, in her past three but owns a 5-0-2 mark from eight starts over Gulfstream's green. She could give a better showing in this spot, but we can't

endorse. AUNT HENNY (Hennessy) will be returning here off a near eight-month

layoff and might need a race before showing her best. MAMA I'M HOME (Wheaton)

hasn't been able to compete against graded rivals in the past and we don't see

that changing here. ECLISSE (Fr) (Ski Chief) owns lower numbers than others and

might not be able to keep up.

MONTE CRYSTAL (Per) (Surely Six) is something of a question mark in this one.

The Group 1-winning bay was a well-beaten fifth in her U.S. bow, the Dowager S.,

last out, but probably needed that one. She could show much more here, but we'll

just watch to see how she handles her second try.