Reaction to short rest lone worry for 'Laura'

SAN MATEO, Calif. - It only takes a glance to see that Somethinaboutlaura has a great chance to win Saturday's $75,000 Foster City Handicap at Bay Meadows. She has never lost at Bay Meadows and held on well for third after setting a pressured pace in the Grade 2 El Encino at Santa Anita in her last start. The one-mile distance should be ideal for her.

Although she should find herself on the lead, Somethinaboutlaura will get some pressure from Marla Bay and Garden Whimsy. An unknown pace factor will be Noche Linda, a Chilean-bred making her U.S. debut. But if she needs to, Somethinaboutlaura can relax and stalk the pace.

Pace aside, trainer Steve Miyadi has another concern about Somethinaboutlaura going into the race - how she will run on relatively short rest. The El Encino was on Jan. 15, and the last time she came back after only a three-week break, she ran her poorest race last year, a sixth-place finish in the $100,000 Fleet Treat at Del Mar.

came out of the El Encino well and has had a bullet half-mile drill in 48.20 seconds since then.

makes only her second start since plowing through the rail while leading a turf race at Hollywood Park last summer. She was a good second in an Oct. 10 sprint, splitting stakes winners Heavenly Humor and Thrilling Victory. She grabbed a quarter in that race but is working smartly for her return, including bullets in her past two drills, a 1:11.40 at six furlongs and 59.40 at five furlongs.

"She'll run good, but she might need it," trainer Bill Morey Jr. said.

Trainer Armando Lage saw Noche Linda for the first time when she arrived at his barn Wednesday night.

"She's supposed to be a really nice mare," he said.

She has trained steadily in Southern California, but Lage isn't sure about her running style.

makes her debut for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. She was second in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf at Woodbine in her last start Nov. 5. She was entered in the Jan. 1 Bay Meadows Cotillion but was scratched.

"I just hadn't had her long enough, and she'd had a little layoff," Hollendorfer said. "She's been training well."

Her off-the-pace style should make her Somethinaboutlaura's toughest challenger in the lane.