Maker Or Breaker in top form for Princess of Palms

Invaders appear to hold the aces in Saturday’s $35,000 Princess of Palms Stakes at Turf Paradise. The six-furlong event for fillies and mares drew a field of seven.

Southern California raiders Maker Or Breaker and Rock and Glory may be the ones to beat, though Makinmymark, who returns after a successful stint in Minnesota, could give them a challenge.

Maker Or Breaker, owned by Hal and Patti Earnhardt and now with trainer Dan McFarlane, campaigned in Southern California under the guidance of Bob Baffert. A frequent stakes combatant there, she comes here in solid form, having run second in the Orange County at Los Alamitos on Sept. 7 and fourth in the Grade 3 L.A. Woman at Santa Anita on Oct. 4. Israel Hernandez rides.

Rock and Glory, trained here by Robertino Diodoro, campaigned in Southern California under the guidance of Tim Yakteen. She romped at Hollywood Park in an allowance race last November and hasn’t raced since running sixth in the Paseana at Santa Anita in January. Rock and Glory boasts two bullet works here. Scott Stevens rides.

Makinmymark, trained by Valorie Lund, ran fifth in an optional claimer here Jan. 8 and then got a vacation. She resurfaced at Canterbury Downs during the summer and comes off a win for a $20,000 tag in July and a sharp third in the Hoist Her Flag there Aug. 8. Ry Bowen rides.

Key contenders

Maker Or Breaker (Last 3 Beyers: 72-76-76)

◗ She is a proven commodity at this distance, having won two of the three times she has tried it. And even in her lone loss at this distance, she ran second.

◗ Sprinting is her forte. She has two wins, a second, and a fourth in her four sprints – and the fourth came when facing Grade 3 foes at Santa Anita on Oct. 4.

◗ She is versatile. In her four wins, she’s come from far off the pace, from just off the pace, and, in her last two, when pressing the issue from the start. She figures to fall into a nice stalking trip here from her outside post.

Rock and Glory (Last 3 Beyers: 76-91-43)

◗ She sprints for the first time since March 2012, when she pressed the pace before fading to fifth going six furlongs at Santa Anita.

◗ She almost certainly will get fast dirt for this, but her three wins have come in the mud and on synthetic.

◗ Her trainer, Diodoro, won the only stakes run so far at this meet and for the same owners.

◗ While she hasn’t run since Jan. 12, Diodoro has a superb 32 percent win rate off a layoff of 180 days or more.

Makinmymark (Last 3 Beyers: 87-89-61)

◗ She showed an affinity for this track with a smart allowance win here last October.

◗ She has tactical speed and should be forwardly placed from the start.

◗ She has been off for more than two months but is proven fresh, having run second off a similar layoff here last December and second off a longer layoff at Canterbury in June.