Shippers add to challenge

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Four local fillies and three capable shippers make for an intriguing handicapping puzzle in Thursday's featured eighth race, the $65,000 Meadow Star overnight stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Are We Dreamin, Tar Heel Mom, Wish Me Success, and City Bird are familiar names to followers of this circuit, but Fearless Leader, Miss Blue Tye Dye, and Way With Words are new shooters who may make their presence felt.

Are We Dreamin has banked more than $232,000 this year for trainer Randi Persaud, with 12 in-the-money finishes from 16 starts - the same number of starts she made in 2007. The durable filly showed signs of tailing off last out, however, when she faded in a similar spot and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 65, her lowest since last February.

Tar Heel Mom has been a gem of consistency since being shipped to New York and given over to Stanley Hough in early summer. The 3-year-old filly has recorded identical Beyers of 91 in her three starts on fast tracks, including good efforts across town against Informed Decision, subsequent winner of Keeneland's Grade 2 Raven Run, and against J Z Warrior.

After chasing a slow pace and running her final furlong in 12.30 seconds behind J Z Warrior in an overnight stakes Oct. 12, Tar Heel Mom returned to work a half-mile in a bullet 45.40 seconds.

City Bird has been no worse than second in four starts this year for Rick Dutrow and cuts back to a sprint after setting the pace against Altesse, who returned to win the Grade 3 Turnback the Alarm Handicap. She has recorded her two best Beyers at Thursday's distance and makes the first start of her career over her home track.

Fearless Leader, Miss Blue Tye Dye, and Way With Words invade from Delaware, Philadelphia, and Laurel, respectively, and appear to fit well.

Fearless Leader has won 3 of 5 starts this year and is fresh off a best-ever performance to wire a third-level allowance with a 93 Beyer.

Miss Blue Tye Dye returned from a layoff to win three consecutive Pennsylvania-bred stakes, before being overmatched in the $400,000 Presque Isle Masters. She comes off a runner-up finish to the multiple stakes winner Control System.

Way With Words won a New Jersey-bred sprint stakes with a career-top Beyer of 94 two starts back.