Iowa Oaks

TRACK BANDIT PREVIEWS

HIGHTAP (Tapit) enters Friday night’s $200,000 Iowa Oaks (G3) off a sharp 3
1/4-length tally in the one-mile Dogwood S. (G3) in which the Steve
Asmussen-trained filly earned a very respectable 95 BRIS Speed rating. A facile
allowance winner three starts back in a two-turn event at Fair Grounds, the gray
lass is bred to easily handle the 1 1/16-mile distance and is three for four
this year. Regular rider Shaun Bridgmohan will be up, and the stalker can make
it two straight wins.

HOOH WHY (Cloud Hopping) must transfer her form to dirt, but she’s got
experience on a conventional surface, finishing third in the six-furlong
Sandpiper S. at Tampa Bay in late December. The chestnut is better around two
turns, missing by only a head in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) prior to a
front-running score in the Ashland S. (G1) at Keeneland, and she exits a sharp
half-length score from off the pace in the La Lorgnette S. at Woodbine. The
third-place finisher last time returned with a top showing against males in
Sunday’s Queen’s Plate, missing by only a neck in third, and Hooh Why appears to
be dropping in class in this spot. The Donna Dupuy trainee should be close to
the pace from the start under Robby Albarado, and she’s obviously dangerous.

SWEET AND FLAWLESS (Unbridled’s Song) offers the opportunity for a little
value. Listed at 10-1 on the morning line, the Eric Reed pupil has a start over
the Prairie Meadows track, checking in third in the one-mile Panthers S. last
out, and figures to appreciate the added ground and a more solid pace set-up on
Friday. The dark bay owns solid BRIS Speed and Pace numbers, and we’ll look for
her to offer a challenge with local jockey Glenn Corbett.

PEACH BREW (Milwaukee Brew) earned a 101 BRIS Late Pace figure last out on
the turf at Arlington, and the dark bay will look to offer a late run on Friday.
She doesn’t have much of a winning attitude (zero-for-five this year) and was
unplaced in her last graded effort, but she’s been knocking heads against some
tough customers and might find this company more to her liking. Consider for
part.

DON’TTALKTOME (Cactus Ridge) will be on the engine from the start, but the
chestnut miss got away with slow fractions when leading all the way in the
Panthers last time and has always raced at shorter distances. She figures to face
more pressure on Friday, and her pedigree is slanted toward sprints. We respect
the Judith Hicklin runner’s current form (three-race winning streak) but will
try to beat her at 8 1/2 furlongs. SWEET RELISH (Smoke Glacken) will try two
turns off a commendable one-length win in the seven-furlong Cinemine S. at Lone
Star that netted her a 96 BRIS Speed rating. The chestnut miss figures to take
back and look to make one run under Cliff Berry, and we can’t dismiss her from
exotics consideration on the stretch-out. However, we’ll just watch for now.

MONTEREY STREET (Candy Ride [Arg]), who was claimed for $20,000 in February,
shows two solid efforts over the track but will be tested for class in her
graded debut. MEIN FRAULEIN (Saarland) hasn’t been much of a factor in her last
two versus allowance rivals and doesn’t look fast enough to factor here.