Free's preview: Fastest horse may not be right play

Maidens, pro and con

If the last-out runner-up finish by Wasted At Midnight was her career debut, she would be difficult to oppose in race 4, a filly-mare special weight sprint. Wasted At Midnight finished more than seven clear of third, earned a 77 Beyer Speed Figure, and ran a winning race.

But it was not her debut. It was the ninth start of her career. The only other time she ran “fast,” as a 3-year-old at Del Mar, she earned a 78 Beyer. And next out, she finished off the board as the favorite.

What is the point? The point is sometimes the fastest horse in the field is unreliable. If she runs two alike, 4-year-old Wasted At Midnight can win. If she regresses, which is likely, then perhaps 9-5 morning line favorite Little Miss S is the right horse.

Bob Baffert trains Little Miss S, a Candy Ride filly who is a sibling to Grade 1 winner Crisp. Her works are sharp, although her workout rival has been the lowly $20,000 maiden claimer Ina Mina. Little Miss S is trained by Bob Baffert and live first out.

Meanwhile, a higher odds filly makes her second start back and is worth consideration. Spy Girl flashed speed and tired in her April 20 return. It was her first start since July. She worked well since and has a history of improving second time out. Peter Miler trains Spy Girl, who is 4-1 on the morning line.

Lone gas

The $75,000 Siren Lure Stakes, race 5, is a turf sprint with just one frontrunner. He is Rosengold. The lightly raced colt makes his first start in more than three months and will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux.

Desormeaux was a regular rider for Stormello, the sire of Rosengold. Stormello won the Grade 1 Hollywood Futurity in 2006 for the late Bill Currin, whose estate is the owner of Rosengold. A two-time stakes winner one year ago, Rosengold is trying to recapture his year-old form for trainer Julio Canani.

Rosengold appears to be the speed in the small field (six entrants) that entered the Siren Lure. Rosengold is listed at 5-1. To win, he must hold off the late rally of 7-5 favorite Chips All In and Pure Tactics, who might be better than his two California starts suggest.

The downhill turf course recently has played fair, with an even mix of frontrunning and come-from-behind winners. Is it possible Rosengold could steal it? Yes. More likely, however, that Chips All In or Pure Tactics wears him down.

Lidlifter single

American Pride, 4-5 in race 1, looks like a “good thing.” He makes his first start since a runner-up finish last summer at Del Mar and appears to be the controlling speed. He is trained by Baffert, whose four most recent special weight maidens all finished second (Sunset Strip, Superlooper, Enchanting Lady, Vegas Strip).