Speed Abound in Miss Preakness

With a number of confirmed front-runners among the entries for a talented renewal of the GIII Miss Preakness S., the race figures to feature lightning-fast early splits. Jack Swain III’s homebred, Miss Ella (Exchange Rate), enters with an undefeated record from two starts and a proven ability to win from a stalking position. Winner of Keeneland’s GII Beaumont S. over an approximate seven furlongs Apr. 12, the bay has since moved north with trainer Graham Motion and will ship over from his Fair Hill Training Center base as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line. Tommy Ligon and Michael Pressley’s Divine Dawn (Divine Park) was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Miss Ella in the Beaumont and will look to turn the tables on that foe in this spot. The Larry Jones trainee sharpened up for this slight cut back in distance with a bullet five-furlong breeze in :58 flat at Delaware Park May 10. Joining her in the starting gate will be Derek Ryan’s Irish Jasper(First Defence), an intriguing entrant who does her best running from off the pace. The dark bay recently removed blinkers and notched her second career stakes victory in last-to-first fashion in Aqueduct’s Belle Harbor S. over 6 1/2 furlongs Apr. 26. ‘TDN Rising Star’ Enchanting Lady (Tale of the Cat) will attempt to make amends for a disappointing, wide ninth-place run in the seven-furlong GIII Eight Belles S. May 1, and draws the rail in this spot as the slight 3-1 morning line favorite. Winner of her first two career starts as a juvenile, including the 5 1/2-panel Landaluce S. last June, the dark bay annexed the Santa Paula S. going 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita in her second sophomore appearance Apr. 5. Super Saks (Sky Mesa) puts blinkers back on for trainer D. Wayne Lukas and may prove to be the speed of the speed after setting blistering fractions and fading to fifth in the Eight Belles.