[ateamstupid]

Leg B (Race 9): 33RD RUNNING OF THE AZALEA BREEDERS' CUP (GRADE III). $300,000, F-3, 6 FURLONGS.

1 - SINDY WITH AN S (Mike Mitchell / Aaron Gryder)
Strong shipper rocks a 3-for-4 record coming into this with her only blemish coming in the G3 Railbird at HOL, when she dueled through impossible fractions and just faded in the seventh furlong. She's also won on turf and on a non-artificial main, both stalking and on the engine, as well as from the rail. Looking good.

2 - MOUNTAIN TIGER (Douglas Potter / Sebastian Madrid)
Homebred filly took 11 tries to break her maiden, but when she did it, she did so impressively, rolling by 1 1/2 against some solid MSW foes on this course. Lost all chance at the break in her last, in fact she was declared a non-starter after getting stuck in the gate, so that's a throwout. Her race two back plus the light weight makes her a bit interesting at what should be a huge number, plus the fact that she knows the course and has shown a liking to closing, but would like to see more than one big race on her resume. Mixed feelings.

3 - CHER AMI (Larry Bates / Carlos Olivero)
Speedy daughter of Lost Soldier was an up-and-down mess for the first five starts of her career, but returned from a brief layoff with a vengeance, cruising in two overnight stakes on this track, and while she steps up in class today, she doesn't encounter a field with a ton of early foot, so she could actually set some reasonable fractions and have enough gas for the stretch run. Appears to be at home over the CRC oval and stands a big shot in here.

4 - ATLANTA HIGHWAY (Andrew Leggio / Carlos Gonzalez)
Chief Seattle bay got hung six wide around the far turn last out, but had no problem with that, still romping by 6 1/2 in the $100,000 Stonerside at LS, her third straight comfortable win since making her three-year-old debut. Has the ability to close, and closers have generally fared well in Summit races, and she's simply hot to the touch, and three LAD works don't temper the attractiveness at all. Interesting.

5 - SECRETSOFTHEHEART (Shawn Musgrave / Abdiel Toribio)
Gray filly hasn't been seen in nearly five months, and last time out she was trounced in the G3 Old Hat at GP, but before that, she was an impressive 9-1 winner in a high-priced optional claimer. She's got to improve on her winter form to make a difference in here, and thinking if she wants at the lead, Cher Ami will prove a formidable opponent, but this girl is talented and game when on her toes. Like the easy three-furlong breeze three days before the race, but this seems like a awfully tough task off the pine.

6 - HOLLY TORQUE TANGO (Brian Koriner / Clinton Potts)
Precocious yet fragile chestnut appeared to be on her way to big things when second in the $100,000 Landaluce at HOL last summer, but she wasn't seen after that until 5/16 of this season when she narrowly scored in a classy optional claimer on the HOL grass. Koriner with no qualms about shipping her across the country and Potts along for the ride for only mount of the day. Still, she's got quite a few lengths to make up on these girls and she appears to be the weaker of the two-pronged CA contingent.

7 - SHEETS (T.V. Smith / Robby Albarado)
Homebred daughter of Scatmandu comes into this off her peak effort, a narrow score in a CD N2X following a dull fifth in the $114,000 Open Mind on turf. Smith doing good things (31%) with limited stock this season, and Albarado sees fit to ride. While that last run was strong and she's got a super string of works for this, she could've just run huge turf-to-dirt, and she's got to progress, not regress to figure in here. Probably a cut below.

8 - MISS A. BOMB (Grant Hofmans / Abel Castellano, Jr.)
Consistent bay has been keeping good company in her last few, but has yet to really turn the corner and put in that big race. Hofmans confident that today's the day, and note that both of her career tallies came at this trip. Still, she was beaten pretty handily by Sheets two back, albeit with some trouble, and that one's not exactly the one to beat in here. Turf-to-dirt angle could add some intrigue, but thinking a minor award is her ceiling.

9 - TIME'S MISTRESS (D. Wayne Lukas / Cornelio Velasquez)
Mr. Greeley chestnut came out of nowhere to run a huge race (1/4 TG) when taking the G3 Miss Preakness at 7-1, then backed that up with a classified allowance score at CD last out. She was drifting late in that one though, and returns only two weeks later against a strong field of three-year-old fillies as the highweight. Formidable, but demand value.

3 - Cher Ami
Should have the front to herself
4 - Atlanta Highway
Versatile bay seeks fourth in a row
1 - Sindy With an S 2ND
Yet to make many mistakes in brief career
9 - Time's Mistress
Anything less than Miss Preakness effort would leave her short