Calder: Devilish Lady looks to have an edge

MIAMI - Between them, Devilish Lady and Blue Eyed Sweetie have won six stakes. That number will likely increase to seven by mid-afternoon on Saturday after the pair square off in the $55,000 Reappeal, a one-mile overnight stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Devilish Lady owns four of those six stakes wins, only one of which came locally - the seven-furlong Jack O'Farrell, which she dominated by nearly eight lengths here last fall. A former claimer, Devilish Lady was claimed for $16,000 out of her fifth career start here in September of her 2-year-old campaign by trainer Antonio Sano, and she has not seen the selling ranks since.

Devilish Lady duplicated her performance in the Jack O'Farrell to capture Tampa Bay Downs' Sandpiper and Gasparilla stakes by a combined 15 lengths this past winter and also won the seven-furlong Cherokee Frolic by a head on closing day at Gulfstream Park. Her best performance to date, though, may have come in defeat in her only previous try around two turns, a tough head setback at the hands of Wyomia in Tampa's Suncoast on March 12.

Devilish Lady has made just one start during the present meet, finishing fourth behind Beso Grande after being hard-used fighting for the lead in the six-furlong French Village on May 14.

Blue Eyed Sweetie was the dominant member of her division around two turns here early last year following victories in the one-mile Lindsay Frolic and 1 1/16-mile My Brave Raj. But she has not won in four subsequent starts and finished far behind Devilish Lady in the Suncoast. Trained by Kathleen O'Connell, Blue Eyed Sweetiee has been working well here over the past month and is eligible to turn the tables on Devilish Lady over her favorite course.

Sano will also send out another of his astute claims, Bessie M., in the Reappeal. Claimed for $25,000 in her 3-year-old debut this winter at Gulfstream, Bessie M. won her only two local starts in convincing fashion earlier this meet including a six length entry level allowance win on April 29. The Reappeal will be her first start against stakes competition and first beyond seven furlongs.Evil Queen, a surprise third in Gulfstream's Grade 2 Forward Gal,maiden-breaker Callmethesqueeze, the stakes tested Greatest Dream and recent allowance winner Prize Informant complete the field.

◗ Trainer David Fawkes said he will stick to his original plan and await the Cornhusker Stakes for Duke of Mischief's next start. Fawkes had also been considering Monday's Grade 1 Met Mile at Belmont Park for his multiple graded stakes winner, who is coming off the richest victory of his career in the $1 million Charles Town Classic.

"When I heard Morning Line was coming out of the Met Mile I thought about reconsidering but in the end the bottom line for my horse is timing," said Fawkes. "I'm just more comfortable giving him another couple of weeks before running him back again."
Fawkes said Duke of Mischief's next work is scheduled at Calder on Sunday.