Shuvee J

Sunday’s $150,000 Shuvee H. (G2) has drawn only a five-horse field, but
there’s no shortage of intrigue in the one-mile test at Belmont Park, as it
marks the first meeting of last year’s champion three-year-old filly, SMUGGLER
(Unbridled), and her later developing contemporary, INDIAN VALE (A.P. Indy), who
ended the season with brilliant victories against older mares. Smuggler already
has a race under her belt in 2006, which may prove a decisive advantage over the
returning Indian Vale. On the other hand, Smuggler is giving away weight to
Indian Vale and each of her other rivals, so it’s no easy matter to split this
talented pair.

We’ll side with Smuggler, principally because she offers better value at 7-2
on the morning line and holds the home court advantage at Belmont. She’s
captured four of five starts at that gigantic oval, including her two most
important wins in the 2005 Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) and Mother Goose S.
(G1). Her only loss here was a better-than-it-looked second to Round Pond
(Awesome Again) in the one-mile Acorn S. (G1), in which she was just a head
behind the leader through a wicked six furlongs in 1:09 3/5, was passed, yet
came again for runner-up honors, recording a 108 BRIS Speed rating in the
process. She enjoyed more suitable tracking trips in her next two and took full
advantage to score decisively. We suspect that some may abandon her in the wake
of her flat reappearance in the Bed o’ Roses Breeders Cup H. (G2) at Aqueduct,
when she trailed throughout and checked in last of five. She’s a stout filly and
probably needed a stiff seven-furlong race to get her fit. Moreover, although
the track condition was labeled fast, it had absorbed a lot of moisture and
looked off to the naked eye. She may not have really reveled in it or allowed
herself to stride out in it. With plenty of early pace in the Shuvee, regular
rider Edgar Prado should be able to give Smuggler her favored stalk-and-pounce
trip, and we’ll look for the Shug McGaughey trainee to emulate her dam, champion
Inside Information (Private Account), who won the 1995 Shuvee.

Indian Vale hasn’t raced since her dynamic 6 1/2-length romp in the Falls
City H. (G2) at Churchill Downs last November. She earned a 110 Speed rating for
that effort, nearly as good as her career best (112) awarded for a 1 1/8-mile
Saratoga allowance win, much the highest in this field. The winner of five of
six lifetime starts, she will get three pounds from Smuggler. The Todd Pletcher
filly has been working sharply in advance of her reappearance, posting bullet
five-furlong moves in her last two pieces of exercise, and her trainer has an
incredible strike rate of 29 percent with runners returning from layoffs in
excess of 90 days. While Indian Vale is eminently qualified to land the spoils
here, she’s 2-5 on the morning line, and she’s raced exclusively at two turns
since breaking her maiden. Cutting back to an unfamiliar one turn, she might not
be seen at her best. Garrett Gomez will partner her for the first time.

TAKE D’ TOUR (Tour d’Or) looms as a live longshot at 12-1. She’s a perfect
four-for-four at the trip, and most significantly, she’s coming off two blow-out
victories at the one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park. The David Fawkes trainee has
turned in two straight bullet five-furlong drills over the deep Calder track and
is dead fit. With new jockey Cornelio Velasquez in the irons, the five-year-old
shapes up to be the frontrunner here, and considering that speedy types are
enjoying an advantage this meet, she should hang on for a share. GRECIAN LOVER
(Friendly Lover) ran a magnificent race in defeat in the Bed o’ Roses. After
stumbling at the start, she rushed up to track the pace intently while wide and
just failed by a neck to overhaul the hot Magnolia Jackson (Cape Canaveral). The
four-year-old represents the ever dangerous Allen Jerkens, and the “Giant
Killer” could strike again here at 8-1.

BALLETTO (UAE) (Timber Country) has loads of back class as a juvenile Grade 1
winner, but she was sidelined for 17 months before finishing a poor fourth in a
Gulfstream allowance/optional claimer behind Take D’ Tour in March. She’s been
working well ever since for Tom Albertrani, and she’ll certainly improve in this
second start back. The big questions are how much, and whether she’ll be able to
return to her best. We’d love to see the Balletto of old, but we’d feel safer
watching for now.