Santa Ana

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

With minor checks earned last fall in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf
(G1) and Matriarch S. (G1), VISIT (GB) (Oasis Dream [GB]) appears to be the
class of Sunday’s $150,000 Santa Ana H. (G2) at Santa Anita and is our selection
to get her first stateside victory.

The nine furlongs of his this turf event perhaps is a bit farther than ideal
for the Juddmonte homebred, but she fared well going 10 furlongs in the
Breeders’ Cup, bidding from behind a slow pace to grab the lead with a furlong
to go before tiring to fourth, 1 1/2 lengths in back of Forever Together (Belong
to Me). She was hindered again by a slow pace in the Matriarch, and could only
rally to finish 1 1/4 lengths third in that one-mile heat. She kicked off 2009
with a start in the Santa Maria H. (G1) on Pro-Ride, and though favored, did not
appear to take to the synthetic surface. We like her chances on the return to
grass Sunday.

The greatest success achieved by BEL AIR SIZZLE (Unusual Heat) has come in
races restricted to California-breds, a dead-heat victory in the Valentine
Dancer H. two back being one example. However, the dark bay placed four times in
graded company last season, most notably a runner-up finish in the Del Mar Oaks
(G1), so she is capable of garnering a piece of this. The deep closer will need
some luck to maneuver her way through the pack, and unfortunately loses Garrett
Gomez to Visit in this.

SATAN’S CIRCUS (Gone West), runner-up in the American Oaks (G1) last summer,
has struggled in three subsequent starts. However, the Patrick Biancone charge
likely needed her latest following a six-month break, and it was a downhill turf
sprint which is shorter than she needs.

BELMONT CAT (NZ) (Felix the Cat) won her U.S. debut at Hollywood in a
December 3 allowance, but could not quicken after tracking in second behind a
slow pace in the San Gorgonio H. (G2) in her latest. We think she can fare
better if allowed to make one big run from slightly off the pace. SHARP SUSAN
(Touch Gold) has not lived up to her name for much of the past year. She’s been
out of the money in six of her last seven, broken up only by a stakes score at
Philadelphia Park. The five-year-old has some back class, but seems to be going
in the wrong direction. IN MY GLORY (Honour and Glory) is the likely pacesetter
and could go a long way if allowed to set easy fractions. She held third in the
Dahlia H. (G2) two back employing such a strategy.

EISSOAI (Brz) (Roi Normand) has yet to reproduce her best Brazilian form in
four starts in this country. EXQUISITE (NZ) (Golan [Ire]) is a possible threat
to keep In My Glory honest, but in general has struggled to pass her available
allowance conditions. Reports have suggested trainer John Sadler will withdraw
DAWN AFTER DAWN (Successful Appeal) and instead point her toward the Las
Cienegas H. (G3) or Wilshire H. (G3).