On the Menu figures tough in stakes

One filly who has been off for nearly two months and another who hasn't raced since last August look dangerous in Saturday's $65,000 Just Smashing Stakes at Monmouth Park.

The six-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies drew nine horses, including a coupled entry for trainer Todd Pletcher, but five are cross-entered in other stakes this weekend, creating the possibility of a compact lineup for Monmouth's feature.

Snow Lass, unbeaten in three starts at Tampa Bay Downs; Gatorette, cutting back to a sprint after setting the pace and fading in the Grade 2 Bonnie Miss at 1 1/8 miles; and Bold Union, romping winner of Belmont's Astoria last June, were all eligible to run in Friday's $100,000 Miss Preakness at Pimlico.

Light Green, coupled with Garden District, and the Philadelphia Park-based Paddy de Luca were part of a five-horse field entered for Friday's $65,000 Fall Aspen at Belmont Park.

Garden District has the best back class among the Just Smashing contestants. She won the Grade 3 Debutante last June in her third start, then went to the sidelines after she was badly beaten in the Grade 2 Adirondack in August at Saratoga.

Pletcher does not do particularly well with 3-year-old filly sprinters returning from long layoffs. According to DRF's Formulator, he is 6 for 34 (18 percent) in that category the last five years, including 0 for 3 in non-graded stakes.

On the Menu, trained by Larry Jones, was sharp during the winter, winning a first-level allowance at Fair Grounds and finishing second in a pair of stakes at Delta Downs and Oaklawn Park.

Her 95 Beyer Speed Figure is the best last-race figure in the field, and she shows a pair of bullet works at Delaware for her first start since March 22. Jones shows an excellent 26-for-79 record (35 percent) with 3-year-old filly sprinters returning from a brief layoff, including 3 for 3 in stakes.