Favorite How Bout Tonight to try new tactic

OCEANPORT, N.J. - Trainer Henry Carroll hopes a change in tactics will put How Bout Tonight back in the game Thursday in the $40,000 first-level turf allowance feature for filly and mare sprinters at Monmouth Park.

How Bout Tonight, the 8-5 favorite, was cooked chasing a blazing pace last time out here on June 28. Songandapsalm shot right to the front and threw down opening splits of 20.67 and 43.79 with How Bout Tonight tracking in second.

Songandapsalm managed to hold on for third while How Bout Tonight faded to sixth.

They meet again in this spot with Carroll looking for a different scenario from the rail with Stewart Elliott aboard again.

"The rail doesn't bother me," Carroll said. "He doesn't have to knuckle on her coming out of there. He can take a little hold and see what develops."

How Bout Tonight has always been blessed with good early speed. The 3-year-old, 1 for 7, hasn't always been able to ration it effectively.

Carroll recalls a race last year at Delaware Park, an effort he calls "one of her best."

How Bout Tonight didn't break well and wound up sixth in the early stages before making a strong late run to lose by only a neck.

Carroll would like to see an effort more closely mimicking that scenario.

"Speed is a weapon that you usually like to have," Carroll said. "We have to change it up a little bit. Doing what we did the last time didn't get the job done."

Lacadena is another who will likely play a key role in the early stages of the 5 1/2-furlong race. She set the early fractions last fall in Grade 3 Natalma Stakes at Woodbine and held on for fourth.

Most recently, Lacadena battled three wide for the early lead in a grass sprint at Belmont Park, finishing third. This will be her third start for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Joe Bravo picks up the mount.

My Goodness will make her turf debut for trainer Alan Goldberg. The daughter of Storm Cat, a $475,000 yearling purchase, makes a surface switch following consecutive sixth-place finishes at Philadelphia Park. Jose Lezcano will ride.

The well-traveled Krica could be a solid fit. The 5-year-old, the senior member of the field, was bred in Argentina and started her career in South Africa. Trained by Mark Hennig, this will be her second U.S. start. Last time out, she ran fourth in a grass sprint at Delaware Park.