Lettie's Relic looks strong in sprint

MIAMI - Rain or shine, Lettie's Relic looks like the one to beat in Sunday's $26,000 allowance feature, scheduled to be run at five furlongs on the turf as the eighth race on a 10-race program.

Lettie's Relic has yet to win a race in six tries this season, but the versatile stretch-runner - a stakes winner in 2008 - has held his own against some top-level competition on both turf and dirt all season and is long overdue to finally visit the winner's circle Sunday.

Lettie's Relic is coming off another strong but frustrating effort when he finished third behind the Marty Wolfson-trained pair of Ikigai and You Luckie Mann going five furlongs over the main track. Lettie's Relic set a contested pace and actually held a short advantage at the head of the stretch before proving no match for the top pair. Earlier this summer, Lettie's Relic was beaten just a neck by Possetothemax in the Reappeal Stakes on turf, rallying from near the rear of the pack before just running out of real estate.

Should the race remain on grass, Lettie's Relic figures to receive his stiffest challenges from the speedy Guns Drawn, stretch-running Lighten Up, or Frosty Diamond.

If inclement weather moves the event over to the main track, Frosty Diamond and Bidham look like the main dangers.

Sharing top billing on Sunday's program will be a similarly conditioned second-level optional claiming and allowance dash for fillies and mares at six furlongs on the main track.

Baba's Mandate, who has had the misfortune of running into Wyatt's Women and finishing second in each of her last two starts, will finally duck that rival and looms the one to beat. She faces a field that includes the speedy Golden Mystery, fresh off an entry-level allowance win four weeks earlier, and Sailing Time.

Hear Ye Hear Ye drills five furlongs

Hear Ye Hear Ye, who finished a tiring sixth after setting the early pace in Belmont's Grade 1 Futurity, worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 here Friday morning for trainer Stanley Gold. Hear Ye Hear Ye, stablemate of local 2-year-old leader Jackson Bend, earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure winning his maiden on Aug. 2 before finishing fourth as the 1-2 favorite trying to stretch his speed around two turns in the Seacliff Stakes.

Hear Ye Hear Ye is eligible for the $400,000 In Reality Stakes on Oct. 17 - as is Jackson Bend - as well as the $150,000 Jack Price Juvenile at seven furlongs four weeks later.

Another 2-year-old of note to work here Friday was Slavic Princess, a Kentucky-bred daughter of Yonaguska who won her only start in impressive fashion last month. Slavic Princess breezed a half-mile in 48 seconds under the watchful eye of trainer Mike McDonald after the renovation break Friday.