Mint Julep

A well matched field of 12 fillies and mares will go postward in the $100,000
Mint Julep H. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. The 119-pound highweight MY
TYPHOON (Ire) (Giant’s Causeway) figures to be the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile
turf test, but in a race this competitive, we’ll try to beat her.

RICH IN SPIRIT
(Repriced) is a Churchill specialist (3-2-1-0) who’s coming off a smart 3
1/4-length victory over the course and distance, earning a career-best 100 BRIS
Speed rating. The Tom Proctor-trained four-year-old kept excellent company last
year, capturing Churchill’s Regret S. (G3) over eventual Grade 1 winner Sweet
Talker (Stormin Fever) and placing third in the Virginia Oaks behind My Typhoon.
We suspect that she can turn the tables on that rival, not only because she’s on
her home turf, but also because the 1 1/16-mile distance likely suits her
better. Moreover, Proctor is winning 28 percent of the time in the “winner last
race” category. Mark Guidry will renew his successful partnership with the dark
bay, who should enjoy a midpack stalking trip.

MORE THAN PROMISED (More Than Ready) put together a four-race win streak last
fall for Steve Asmussen, three of them stakes. She stepped up into graded
company in the Frances A. Genter S. (G3) at Calder on New Year’s Eve and was a
closing third. After a freshening, the four-year-old chestnut returned to action
in the class-laden Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. (G3) on the Kentucky Derby
(G1) undercard and made good progress late, although a bit tight along the
inside, for third, beaten by Mirabilis (Lear Fan) and SPECIAL GRAYCE (Smart
Strike) but finishing a half-length in front of multiple Grade 2 winner Wend
(Pulpit). She stands to benefit from the presence of early speed in here and
will love the added distance, as she boasts a sterling 5-4-1-0 mark at the trip.
The last time she tackled 1 1/16 miles, she unleashed a kick worthy of a 118
Late Pace rating to run away with the Pago Hop S. More Than Promised will
receive three pounds from My Typhoon, and Shaun Bridgmohan will be back aboard.

My Typhoon has won three of four starts at the distance, including a nose
victory in the Mrs. Revere S. (G2) at Churchill last fall, but she only just got
up on that occasion, and her best Speed figures have been recorded at 1 1/8
miles. A close fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette H. (G3) in her 2006 bow last
time out, the Bill Mott filly has turned in two sharp works since, most recently
a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 around the dogs at Belmont Park last Sunday.
The chestnut should move forward from that last outing and will get reacquainted
with Robby Abarado, who guided her to her Mrs. Revere score.

LOUVE ROYALE (Ire) (Peintre Celebre) is coming off two strong efforts in 1
1/2-mile marathons, most recently a victory in the Top Corsage H. on this course
and prior to that, a furiously closing second in the Bewitch S. (G3) at
Keeneland. The Patrick Biancone mare has one career win at this much shorter
distance, but that came in an entry level allowance. She’s placed in two 1
1/16-mile stakes against lesser company than this, and although the chestnut
will come charging late beneath the on-fire Julien Leparoux, we think she’s
going to run out of real estate. SKY HIGH FLYER (GB) (Anabaa) deserves respect
as Bobby Frankel’s representative. She is exiting an entry level allowance
victory at Churchill in her second U.S. start, having been just caught by Louve
Royale in her stateside debut. Her European form in 2005 was very respectable in
the first part of the season, with close runner-up finishes in a pair of Irish
Group 3 contests, then deteriorated thereafter. The bay needs to return to that
level to be a factor here, but she looms as a fascinating dark horse who gets in
with only 113 pounds and Rafael Bejarano.

Special Grayce turned in the best effort of her life last time out when
runner-up in the Distaff Turf Mile, rallying seven wide in the stretch. It
remains to be seen whether she’s capable of that kind of run again. Although she
had race fitness on her side that day, she had just a head to spare over the
returning More Than Promised, and that rival figures to be sharper this time
around. ANEGADA (Arch) has posted solid results (6-2-1-2) at this distance,
including a score in Arlington Park’s Flawlessly S. last September. She recently
finished fourth in a Churchill allowance in her seasonal reappearance and should
be fitter for this race, but this is a step up in class for the mare.

ISLAND ESCAPE (Petionville) placed in three turf stakes last year when
trained by Marcelo Polanco. Now with Nick Canani, her strong runner-up effort
last time out in an allowance/optional claimer over the course and distance
hints that she could be rounding into form. Still, she’d need a career-best to
be involved at the finish. SOLID PLATINUM (Mr. Greeley) was a closing second in
the one-mile Decoration Day H. at Mountaineer in her latest, her only loss on
the lawn, but is taking a steep class hike for this.

ELLA BELLE (Elnadim) has chosen a tough spot for her turf bow, but her
pedigree strongly suggests that she’ll approve of the surface switch. The
four-year-old romped in the Wintergreen S. over Turfway Park’s Polytrack three
starts back, and she most recently wired the field in an off-the-turf
allowance/optional claiming event at Churchill. She’ll face plenty of pressure
up front early here. BEAUGESTE (Military), another early pace factor, has been
well handled in her previous forays into stakes company. WHERE’S BAILEY (Aljabr)
looks up against it on her numbers, especially considering that she’s been on
the shelf since January.