Cicada

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

Six three-year-old fillies will travel three-quarters in Saturday’s $100,000
Cicada S. (G3) at Aqueduct, led by exciting Dearly Precious S. vixen DREAM PLAY
(Hennessy). The Kiaran McLaughlin pupil is well drawn on the rail and had a pair
of solid half-mile maintenance works since her last, and while the competition
might be slightly better than what she has seen as of late, we still like her
chances. Eddie Castro will be in the irons.

HEART ASHLEY (Lion Heart) is a quality filly for Steve Asmussen who enters
off a career-topping 94 BRIS Speed figure. The chestnut has good tactical speed
and a strong closing kick, and she may receive enough early pace to run at in
the lane. Chuckie Lopez will guide the filly, who could run them all down late.

LOVE THAT DANCE (Not for Love) is very fast and has dominated New Jersey-bred
foes to date for Ben Perkins Jr. The speedy miss surely belongs with this type
and might be the speed of the race. If she’s alone early, which is possible, she
may be very tough to upend beneath Mike Luzzi.

ONE SMOKIN LADY (Smoke Glacken) has improved dramatically in her last pair
for Robert Reid Jr., registering BRIS Speed figures of 97 and 100, after two average
runs to begin her career. We like the outside draw for this one and we can’t
discount her chances as she’s improved in a big way, but we’ll likely watch her
first run outside of the Keystone State.

DAILY STAR (Five Star Day) put in a strong closing run to win at first asking
and will now try her hand at graded foes for John Terranova. The chestnut
obviously has talent and is deserving of a chance to get a graded placing, but
including her underneath in the gimmicks is the only thing we can suggest at
this stage of her career.

PURRFECT BLUFF (Lion Heart) finally broker her maiden in her fifth try, but
she needs improvement off of her latest showing to compete with this field late
for Gary Contessa.