'Natalie' one to catch in Bold Ego

The improving Yet Anothernatalie is the one to catch in Sunday's $53,250 Bold Ego Handicap at Sunland Park. The 5 1/2- furlong race drew seven fillies and mares, including Souris, a four-time stakes winner who is in position to surpass earnings of $500,000.

Yet Anothernatalie and Souris are co-highweighted at 122 pounds in the Bold Ego. Another of interest in the race is Lauren Lynn, an allowance winner at Sunland in November.

Yet Anothernatalie won an allowance in her last start Dec. 11 at Sunland, wiring the field at six furlongs and earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 93. She set fractions of 21.60 seconds for the opening quarter and 44 for the half-mile and finished in a blazing 1:08.20.

"She ran real impressive," said Henry Dominguez, who trains Yet Anothernatalie. "She's been doing really, really well of late. That was her best race that she has run for us. As she's getting older she's getting more mature. She knows what she's supposed to do."

Yet Anothernatalie has finished no worse than third in each of her last eight starts, with five of those races resulting in wins, including two stakes victories. Overall, she has won 6 of 20 starts and $163,700.

In the Bold Ego, Yet Anothernatalie appears to be the controlling speed, but she can adapt if the front-running Lauren Lynn gets the jump on her at the start Sunday.

"She doesn't really need to be on the lead, but she seems to run better when she is on it," said Dominguez. "If she breaks well and gets away good, I think she'll be [all right]."

Yet Anothernatalie is a 6-year-old by Storm Boot. Lady Chapel, her dam, is a half-sister to As Indicated, a Grade 1 winner of $802,212. Yet Anothernatalie was bred in Kentucky and races for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds and John Antonelli.

The stretch threat will be Souris, a winner of seven races and $495,456. In her last start she closed from next to last to finish third to Yet Anothernatalie in the Dec. 11 allowance. A few starts before that, Souris earned a career-best Beyer Figure of 105 for her win in a money allowance at Churchill Downs on Nov. 6.

Wade Rini has the mount on Sunday for leading trainer Steve Asmussen.