Ashland

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Saturday’s $500,000 Ashland S. (G1) at Keeneland will continue the rivalry
between CHRISTMAS KID (Lemon Drop Kid) and HIGH AGAIN (High Yield). The pair
have faced off in their past two starts, with Christmas Kid taking the Davona
Dale S. (G2) over High Again before falling to that rival in the Bonnie Miss S.
(G2) most recently. Both fillies will be out to prove something on Saturday, but
we think OCTAVE (Unbridled’s Song) will be the one in the winner’s circle
for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Winner of her career debut last year at Churchill Downs, the gray miss
immediately stepped up into stakes company, running second in the Astoria S. She
tried graded competition next, taking the Adirondack Breeders’ Cup S. (G2),
before beginning her current runner-up streak. Second in the Matron S. (G1),
Octave took on the best in her division in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies
(G1) and finished a game second while close to the pace all the way around. She
earned a field-best 102 BRIS Speed rating for that effort and was given four
months off before returning in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) last out. The
sophomore lass veered in at the break and ran near the back before rallying to,
once again, finish second on that day. Garrett Gomez returns to the saddle and
the pair could find themselves getting their picture taken after the 1 1/16-mile
contest on
Saturday.

High Again took four tries to break her maiden, but seems to have turned
things around since taking that first win. She returned in January to take an
allowance by 3 1/2 lengths, then made her stakes debut in the Davona Dale, where
she ran three wide before finishing second by four lengths. The Bill
Mott-trained chestnut was never far back of the pacesetter in the Bonnie Miss
while stretching out to nine furlongs most recently, eventually pulling off the
1 1/2-length score while earning a 97 Speed rating. She could make a race of it
here under Julien Leparoux while attempting to take her second stakes victory.

Christmas Kid has finished off the board only once in her career, that coming
in her debut, and she has since taken two stakes events. The James Jerkens charge couldn’t hang on in the nine-furlong Bonnie Miss, and might do
better here while going a sixteenth of a mile less. She’ll be making her
Polytrack debut, but has won two of three starts on the turf, proving different
surfaces haven’t held much of a challenge yet. Christmas Kid will be looking to
turn the tables on High Again with Rene Douglas aboard.

MISTICAL PLAN (Game Plan) beat our top pick in the 1 1/16-mile Fair Grounds
Oaks last out with a gate-to-wire, 3 1/4-length score. The bay miss doesn’t need
the lead to win, though, as she captured the Sunshine Millions Oaks after racing
off the pace two back. The Doug O’Neill trainee consistently earns competitive
Speed numbers, has worked well of late and will be tough to deny here.
Robby Albarado has the call. ELITIST (Honour and Glory) has an edge on many in
here in that she’s raced, and won, exclusively on the Polytrack at Turfway Park.
The Paul McGee charge hasn’t earned quite the same numbers as our top picks, but
she could step up in a big way if her rivals falter on the surface change.
Ignore at your own peril.

HUCKING HOT (GB) (Desert Prince [Ire]) earned her first stakes victory in the
Hidden Light S. last year while making her U.S. debut. She hasn’t visited the
winner’s circle in three starts since, but just missed by a head in the China
Doll S. on the turf most recently. The Paddy Gallagher-conditioned bay could show up in the
exotics. SILVER KNOCKERS (Silver Deputy) was second in the Forward Gal S. (G2)
in her last one, and will be stretching out past seven furlongs for the first
time here. She could earn a share of the purse if she can handle the extended
distance.

DAWN AFTER DAWN (Successful Appeal) finished well back of others in here
in the Fair Grounds Oaks. We don’t see her reversing that form here. GRACE HAPPENS (Aptitude)
looks out of her class against these.