Grace Anatomy could upset Country Star

NEW YORK - Hollywood Park boasts the lone Grade 1 race on Saturday's stakes schedule, the Hollywood Starlet for 2-year-old fillies. But Calder Race Course counters nicely with its Grand Slam II program of four graded stakes, topped by the W. L. McKnight and La Prevoyante handicaps.

Hollywood Starlet

The fact that Country Star got her maiden victory in a race like the Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes in only the second start of her career is a strong indication of her considerable potential. She wasn't rushed into a start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and was instead deliberately pointed to this race, suggesting we will likely see an even better performance from her Saturday. But as well as Country Star ran in the Alcibiades, Grace Anatomy was equally impressive finishing third. And since Grace Anatomy will be the better price Saturday, she is the play.

Grace Anatomy lost by only a little more than a length in the Alcibiades, but an eventful trip cost her much more ground than that. Grace Anatomy was off last, spotting the field a two- to three-length head start, then made a sustained five-wide move around the first turn to reach close contention into the backstretch. She bid for the lead three wide around the far turn and had the lead in deep stretch before understandably weakening late. Moreover, she was the only member of the field involved in the early pace to be even remotely involved at the wire.

Grace Anatomy ran back in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, and her distant seventh in that race might also help her price Saturday. But that race is a total throwout. From early down the backstretch on, Grace Anatomy did not look at all comfortable on the deep, sloppy going on Breeders' Cup Saturday.

W.L. McKnight Handicap

Stream of Gold is the horse to beat off his last two races, both at the 1o1/2-mile distance he will travel on Saturday. He was second in the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational two starts back to subsequent Breeders' Cup Turf winner and certain turf champion English Channel, and a close fourth most recently in the Grade 1 Canadian International. This, of course, won't be lost on the betting public, and Stream of Gold's odds won't be appealing. Soldier's Dancer strikes me as a more interesting betting option.

Soldier's Dancer comes into this off the two best performances of his busy career. He simply ran away with the Calder Derby two starts back, and he finished with a bold rush last time out to just miss in the Bonnie Heath Turf Championship to Revved Up, who is also in this race, and who has had more success at 12 furlongs than the rest of the field combined. But while Soldier's Dancer has never attempted this distance, he has the look of a late-season 3-year-old who has suddenly found himself. And it is often very risky underestimating those kind of horses.

La Prevoyante Handicap

It's going to take a big effort to deny Dalvina here. She was impressive romping in the Long Island Handicap in her U.S. debut going this 1 1/2-mile distance over wet turf, which she might well catch again with rain in the forecast, and she is now in the very capable hands of trainer Graham Motion. But Redaspen appears poised for a big effort, and she figures to offer betting value.

Redaspen is likely to improve off a third in the recent My Charmer Handicap for two reasons: She was shuffled back behind a tiring opponent through the far turn, and that was her first start in four months. Redaspen won small stakes in two of her prior three starts, but it was her narrowly beaten second in the Eatontown Stakes between those wins that show what she is capable of. She was beaten just a half-length by Karen's Caper, who was one of the best turf fillies in the country in 2006, and finished ahead of Roshani, who came right back to win the Matchmaker.