Brendolyn likely favored to catch the leaders

ALBANY, Calif. - Denaesalildevil has been a sprinter so far, but she will try to relax on an easy lead and keep on going in Thursday's Golden Gate Fields feature, when she meets five fillies and mares in an allowance race in her first try at a mile.

Denaesalildevil is a good enough sprinter to have beaten stakes winners Glorification and Kalookan Dancer. She kept company with the likes of Victorina and Vaca City Flyer as well as Royal Kleven earlier this year.

But while she is probably the quickest of the six runners, she will not get an easy lead, thanks to the presence of Snowdrop, the wire-to-wire winner of the 1 1/16-mile Alameda County Fillies and Mares Handicap at Pleasanton this summer and a stakes-placed sprinter.

An honest pace makes Thursday's race wide-open, and Brendolyn could wind up as the favorite after her game victory at Bay Meadows on Oct. 13.

Making only her second start of the year, the Craig Dollase-trained 4-year-old filly won a $50,000 optional claimer at the same one-mile distance. She stalked early from midpack and unleashed a strong kick to win by a neck as the favorite under Russell Baze, who will ride her again on Thursday.

She draws the rail and should get a similar stalking trip here. And two others - Eastlake Avenue and Butters - figure to be sitting in similar positions.