Mint Julep

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

A competitive group of 11 fillies and mares will line up to contest the
$150,000 Mint Julep H. (G3) at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Champion DREAMING OF
ANNA (Rahy) leads the field, and the four-year-old looks like she’s simply too
good for this group. The Wayne Catalano pupil has been a model of consistency
throughout her brilliant career, compiling a 14-9-3-1 mark with her lone blemish
coming in the 2007 Kentucky Oaks (G1) in the mud. The chestnut filly has never
been worse than second in 10 turf starts, and ran a solid second in the
Churchill Distaff
Turf Mile S. (G3) over this sod most recently. The likely favorite has as much speed
as any in the field and will surely be an ultra-tough foe with something close
to her best. Garrett Gomez, who finished second aboard the lass in the Queen
Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1) last year, gets paired with the gem
once again.

The performance of DANZON (Royal Academy) disappointed us on Derby Day, but we
are willing to give the Bill Mott charge a chance for redemption. The dark bay
mare finished a close third in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S. (G1) versus the boys last
spring at this venue and dominated the Kentucky Cup Distaff S. (G3) last
September, so we know she has the ability. We’re concerned that this distance
will be too short for the five-year-old, but her class should see her pass many
of these in the lane. Kent Desormeaux has the assignment.

The Churchill-loving CIAO (Lear Fan) is a different animal when stepping onto
this turf course and is always a threat under the Twin Spires. Conditioned by
Frank Kirby, the bay filly won the 2006 Caressing H. here, recorded a
three-length allowance tally over this course last summer and concluded her
sophomore campaign a
fast-closing second in November’s Mrs. Revere S. (G2). The wide post (11) doesn’t excite us, but it would be foolish to not
include her in everything beneath Mike Luzzi.

TEARS I CRY (Chester House) finished a solid second in the Ouija Board
Distaff H.
(G3) last out, which followed a comprehensive win in the Irving Distaff S. for
conditioner Cody Autrey. The bay filly, who flashed good ability in the Empire
State as a sophomore, is arguably as good as any in this field not named
Dreaming of Anna, and she rates a big chance at a graded placing. The
four-year-old has good tactical speed which should keep her in the mix early,
and if she fires her best shot, she’ll be there late under Jamie Theriot.

Grade 2 queen STREET SOUNDS (Street Cry [Ire]) hasn’t won a race since May of
2007, but the Michael Matz pupil is rounding into her best form and could make
some noise in here with further improvement. The dark bay four-year-old earned
her marquee win in last year’s Beaumont S. (G2) and hasn’t looked that good
since, but she’s a three-time turf winner from a smart outfit, and we’ll use her
in the gimmicks.

We’ve always had an eye on BALLYMORE LADY (War Chant) and thought she may be
up to this level on her best day for trainer Eddie Kenneally. The five-year-old
bay won her prep race for this over considerably softer, but the mare has been
pretty steady for all of 2008 and she could sneak into the exotics with the
right trip. Julien Leparoux will be up. MAMA I’M HOME (Wheaton) is winless in
three tries at this venue and has never been all that formidable against graded
company, so the best we can envision from the six-year-old is a midpack finish.

KISS WITH A TWIST (Lemon Drop Kid) is a hard-trying filly for Jose Fernandez
who has finished in the top three in six of her eight lifetime efforts on the
green. The Kentucky-bred miss logged a sixth in her lone grassy stakes try, but
finished just three lengths back in the Mrs. Revere S. (G2) in her sophomore
finale. We like her heart and will include the four-year-old in the vertical
exotics. SPRUNG (Grand Slam) picked up a useful allowance win over this surface in
preparation of this but still appears to be a cut below the best in this field.

RUSTIC FLAME (Ire) (Danehill Dancer) earned a nice win over allowance fillies
and mares at Keeneland but is making a big jump up in class, and we’re not sure
she’s ready to handle it just yet. SOUSAPHONE (Stravinsky) finished fifth at big
odds in a second-level allowance race and doesn’t exactly fit with this type at
this stage of her career.