Orchid

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Eight turf distaffers will line up in Sunday’s $150,000 Orchid H. (G3) at
Gulfstream Park, and ECLISSE (Fr) (Ski Chief) could finally breakthrough with
her first U.S. win in this 1 1/2-mile grass test. The Marty Wolfson trainee made
her stateside debut an off-the-board run in last June’s Honeymoon H. (G2), and
proceeded to drop her next three at a mile. She was subsequently switched from
John Sadler to Wolfson, but didn’t immediately reward that decision when ninth
while sprinting in a Calder stakes in late December. That wasn’t entirely the
bay’s fault, though, as her jockey lost his iron. Eclisse has stretched out in
her past two and done much better, finishing third in an allowance/optional
claimer in her four-year-old bow and just three parts of a length back in fifth
in The Very One H. (G3) last out. She could show even more in this one with
Eddie Castro aboard.

HOSTESS (Chester House) earned her last win in an allowance over Gulfstream’s
turf 12 months ago, then was third in the New York S. (G2) and Sheepshead Bay H.
(G2) at Belmont during early summer. Her next four were all unplaced finishes,
but even then the James Bond charge was close at the wire. She finished fourth,
just 1 1/4 lengths behind eventual champion turf mare Lahudood (GB), in the
Flower Bowl S. (G1). In her seasonal opener last out, the five-year-old mare was
2 3/4 lengths back in seventh in The Very One, and appears to have returned in
good form this year. John Velazquez was aboard for Hostess’ last win, and the
pair could find themselves sharing the winner’s circle once again.

MAURALAKANA (Fr) (Muhtathir [GB]) was the winner of The Very One while
making her first start for Christophe Clement most recently. The bay mare spent
all but one of her 2007 starts competing against graded company, and picked up a
win in the Locust Grove H. (G3) as well as a second in the Glens Falls H. (G3)
going 11 furlongs. She’ll just have to stretch out an extra furlong here and
could use the extra ground to earn her third graded score. Mauralakana will keep
Rene Douglas in the saddle.

HERBORISTE (GB) (Hernando [Fr]) appears to like the 1 1/2-mile distance,
taking an allowance prior to a close fifth in the La Prevoyante H. (G2) during
the fall and early winter. She was third most recently in The Very One, earning
a 107 BRIS Late Pace rating, and could topple these if she runs back to last
year’s form.

CLIFFROSE (Ger) (Monsun) just missed by a half-length while making her final
overseas start in a German Group 3 in 2006, but wasn’t seen in competition
again until making her U.S. debut nine months later. She raced only twice in
2007, and has shown much more since returning this year, earning a second
in an allowance/optional claimer and running just 2 1/4 lengths back in sixth in
The Very One. The dark bay mare could continue to improve in this spot and fill
out the bottom of the gimmicks. Grade 3 runner-up I’M IN LOVE (Zafonic) could
earn a check in this one while making her 2008 bow. The Kiaran McLaughlin
trainee captured last year’s George Rosenberger Memorial S. at Delaware Park and
will get a rider switch to Kent Desormeaux.

DUCHESS ROYALE (Ire) (Danehill) will be making her stakes debut in this spot
off an allowance third earlier this month. We’ll just watch to see how she
handles the jump in class. LEAP IN THE SUN (Anees) hasn’t been competitive
against lesser turf runners and we don’t see her challenging here.