W. L. McKnight

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Twelve distance turf runners will contest Saturday's W. L. McKnight H. (G2)

at Calder and it's hard to go against 3-1 morning-line favorite DREADNAUGHT (Lac Ouimet),

but we'll try to beat the Thomas Voss trainee with CERTIFIABLY CRAZY (Fit to

Fight), who enters off three-straight stakes placings, including a nose

defeat to this event's morning-line favorite in the Red Smith H. (G2) last time. The

four-year-old will stretch out another eighth of a mile here and we think he'll

enjoy the distance change as the gelding dug in in the stretch last time.

Certifiably Crazy could prove a tough runner when challenged late, and Cornelio Velasquez has the mount for

conditioner John Destefano.

MACAW (Ire) (Bluebird) has been off since winning the John Henry S. at the

end of October but shows back class with placings in the Sword Dancer

Invitational S. (G1)

and the Canadian International S. (Can-G1) late last year, both events run

at Saturday's 12-furlong distance. The Angel Penna Jr. trainee gets the services of

Eddie Castro and could be dangerous toward the end coming from off the pace.

Dreadnaught enters off that win in the Red Smith and appears in top

form. He was a neck behind Macaw in the John Henry two back, but before those two

he was running at the allowance level.

Although he is a

Grade 2 winner, we think the four-year-old is beatable here.

Jerry Bailey will be aboard IRISH COLONIAL (Colonial Affair), who has missed

the board twice this year as the bay finished fourth in a Belmont allowance in

June and most recently filled that same spot in the Red Smith. He can handle the distance, as he was hung

three-wide around every turn of his last one, and could surprise here. Watch out

for the Randy Schulhofer trainee.

DR. BRENDLER (Distant View) should be respected, having run in four graded

stakes during his 2003 campaign, including a win in the Dixie S. (G2).

The six-year-old was put on the shelf until October of this year, when he

finished second in a Keeneland allowance before a sixth to Certifiably Crazy and

Dreadnaught in the Red Smith. We'll use him in the exotics in hopes of a return

to last year's form. DEMETEOR (Dehere) closed well for third last time in the Tropical Turf

H. (G3) at

odds of 48-1 and could get up for part here. The five-year-old will have to run

another three furlongs in this contest, but could enjoy the change in distance and we'll

use him in the bottom of the gimmicks.

Jeff Mullins sends out PUPPETEER (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]), but the bay

four-year-old has never been farther than a mile. We'll watch for now. The distance is not our concern for IN HAND (Belong to Me) so much as the

class of this field. The four-year-old won an allowance two back and the

Greenwood Cup H., a 1 1/2-mile turf event, earlier this year, but the gelding

will need a nice trip to be able to close with some of these runners.

SCOOTER ROACH (Mi Cielo) surprised at odds of 18-1 two back when taking the

Robert F. Carey Memorial H. (G3), an eight-furlong grass test. The addition of a

half-mile is our only concern, and we'll let the gelding beat us. COLONIAL BAY

(Pleasant Colony) tried the graded level last out in the Tropical Turf and finished a badly-beaten 11th. We'll go against the five-year-old as he

stretches out three-eighths of a mile. LATINO (Per) (Laubali) moves way up in

class here and we have to go against. RAYS A RULER (Groomstick) enters in much

the same way and may need one start against this level.