Litfin's preview: Baffle Me looks to rebound in Intercontinental Stakes

‘Baffling’ Intercontinental

Baffle Me finished off the board as the favorite going long first time out this year, but the 5-year-old mare is positioned for a rebound in today’s featured $100,000 Intercontinental Stakes

Baffle Me’s three straight wins to close out 2013 included two decisive stakes scores at seven furlongs on the Widener turf course, and she returns to those conditions against 10 rivals.

Overall, Baffle Me is 3-1-0 from four starts on Belmont turf for Mark Hennig, the lone defeat at 1 1/16 miles, when she led to deep stretch and saved the place in the Fairy Garden overnight stakes over Free as a Bird.

Free as a Bird was beaten twice by Baffle Me last year but may be a tougher customer for Round 3 based on a sharp score in the six-furlong License Fee Stakes four weeks ago.

Assateague, second to Baffle Me in her final start last year, cuts back after carving out the pace in the Beaugay Stakes opening weekend.

‘Smashing’ allowance race

A field of eight fillies and mares clash in race 7, a $77,000 preliminary allowance at six furlongs headed by last-out maiden graduates Smashing, Suzy Malibu, and West Coast Chick.

The 4-year-old Smashing was in tight early first time out at Gulfstream but alertly broke at Aqueduct five weeks later and never was headed while finishing with something left.

Suzy Malibu and West Coast Chick, the two 3-year-olds in the lineup, figure to test Smashing early and late.

West Coast Chick also had some trouble at the start first time out and also showed better gate speed to wire maidens when returned from a layoff at Gulfstream, prevailing by a half-length over Thirteen Arrows, subsequently an easy maiden winner by six lengths here last week.

Suzy Malibu ships in for California-based trainer Doug O’Neill after rallying from eighth and last to win her debut going away by better than five lengths.