Thoroughbred Beat

THOROUGHBRED BEAT

FEBRUARY 16, 2006

by James Scully

Servis returnees -- Unraced for nearly 10 months, ROCKPORT HARBOR (Unbridled's

Song) turned in a very encouraging performance in Saturday's Essex H. (G2),

leading wire to wire for a 2 1/4-length victory. Winner of the 2004 Remsen S.

(G2) and Nashua S. (G3), the John Servis-trained colt made only two starts last

year before being sidelined in April and now owns a 7-5-1-0 record. Rockport

Harbor will need to keep improving in order to beat top-class horses, but we

haven't seen his best yet. His more accomplished stablemate, ROUND POND (Awesome

Again), will make her four-year-old return on Thursday. The bay filly broke her

maiden in Hot Springs, Arkansas, less than 12 months ago and then reeled off

easy wins in the Honeybee S. and Fantasy S. (G2). Round Pond skipped the

Kentucky Oaks (G1) and went straight to the Acorn S. (G1), where she posted an

excellent 1 1/2-length decision over Smuggler (Unbridled) and earned a whopping

111 BRIS Speed rating. However, she made only one more start, a runner-up finish

in July's Delaware Oaks (G2), before undergoing surgery for a bone chip. Round

Pound is one of the most exciting prospects in the distaff division this year.

Seven-year-old Parade -- STAR PARADE (Arg) (Parade Marshal) doesn't

appear to have lost a step at age seven. She dominated Sunday's Santa Maria H.

(G1), winning by two easy lengths over the favored Proposed (Benchmark), and is

now headed to the April 8 Apple Blossom H. (G1). Last season didn't go smoothly

for the Argentine import. Star Parade recorded unplaced finishes in the Santa

Maria, Louisville Breeders' Cup H. (G2), A Gleam H. (G2) and Clement L. Hirsch

H. (G2), but she began to turn things around with a close second in October's

Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup H. (G2) and then captured her next two dirt starts,

the Bayakoa H. (G2) and Santa Maria. The only bright spot on her resume early

last year was a close second in the Apple Blossom, and she also finished third

in the 2004 edition behind Azeri. That race is held at her favorite distance, 1

1/16 miles.

Restoring Balance -- Amerman Racing Stables' BALANCE (Thunder Gulch)

atoned for her runner-up finish in the Hollywood Starlet (G1) with a smart score

in Saturday's one-mile Las Virgenes S. (G1). Out of a Kris S. mare, the David

Hofmans charge is bred to run long on both sides of her pedigree and is quite

possibly the best three-year-old filly on the West Coast. Supporters of champion

two-year-old filly Folklore (Tiznow), who has not worked since finishing a

disappointing third in the January 16 Santa Ynez S. (G2), might argue that

point, and a case can also be made for Las Virgenes runner-up WILD FIT (Wild

Wonder). Unraced since a troubled second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies

(G1), the Grade 1-winning Wild Fit was acquired for $3 million at Keeneland in

November and turned over to Patrick Biancone. The late-running gray fell far off

the pace in the Las Virgenes and offered a solid run for the place, finishing a

length behind and earning her first triple-digit Speed rating (100). She's

eligible to improve significantly.

Sweetie -- California-bred SIERRA SWEETIE (Old Topper) squared off

against open rivals in Saturday's California Oaks at Golden Gate Fields and

closed stoutly to win the 1 1/16-mile event going away. Trainer Jeff Bonde

announced that he will point the gray filly toward the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May

5, and Sierra Sweetie has proved very honest, breaking her maiden in the

restricted Generous Portion S. at Del Mar and compiling four wins in her last

five starts, all stakes races. She could develop into a top-class performer, but

her Speed ratings (93-97-85 in last three starts) must get better.

Bling, Bling -- Bob Baffert has it going on with TOO MUCH BLING (Rubiano).

A 19 1/2-length maiden winner at Thistledown last July, the Ohio-bred colt

recorded a third in the Hopeful S. (G1) but didn't fare well when stretched out

in distance for his next two starts. He smoked his rivals when returning this

year in the six-furlong San Miguel S. and was flattered when the runner-up,

Cause to Believe (Maria's Mon), captured the El Camino Real Derby (G3) next out.

Too Much Bling carried his speed another furlong in Sunday's San Vicente S.

(G2), shrugging off an early challenge from Totally Gone (Gone West) and

repulsing a strong rally from runner-up Peace Chant (War Chant) in midstretch en

route to an impressive 1 1/2-length score. Too Much Bling is obviously an

imposing presence in the three-year-old sprint ranks this season, and Baffert

has another talented three-year-old for any short-distance party in DA STOOPS

(Distorted Humor).