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A Day at the Races 04/06/2001 By Gary West / The Dallas Morning News
Mini Deni, third race
After concluding her juvenile campaign with two dismal efforts, Mini Deni woke up in her last outing, her seasonal debut, where she finished third after setting a lively pace. Her odds were 18-1 that day. They won't approach that Friday, in Lone Star's third race, but she indeed has the look of a winner.
Her natural speed gives her a decided advantage Friday. If she can duplicate her last outing, she should be able to open up a clear early advantage, which could carry her into the winner's circle.
Princess Liza, sixth race
In the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately department, Princess Liza has little to recommend. In her last three outings, she hasn't gotten closer than seven lengths to the winner's circle.
But she has run the two best races of her career on Lone Star's turf course. And that's precisely where she'll be Friday night, in the sixth race. Akeeta Gold, Jac's Dream and He Sits He Sips – there must be a story behind that name – are the logical contenders in this race. But if Princess Liza can duplicate her performances over the Lone Star turf from last season, she'll be right there with them at the wire.
Littleexpectations and Sense Of Duty, eighth race
A full brother to two stakes winners, Littleexpectations is a multiple stakes winner of $147,580. And not only is he talented, he is charismatic. The little chestnut colt lowers his body and pins back his ears and charges for the wire. He ran well against the best sprinters at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, and Friday he finds himself in allowance company, which means he's strictly the horse to beat.
But he could be an enticing exacta play with Sense Of Duty. He turned in a solid effort at one mile in his last outing, and the early fractions of that race suggest he can be effective at Friday's distance of 5½ furlongs.
Jonathan Horowitz, Santa Anita, third race
On Friday's national racing program, there is one certain winner: Jonathan Horowitz. The aspiring announcer who just celebrated his 16th birthday filled in for Michael Wrona and called a couple of races at Lone Star last year. On Friday, he'll sit in for Trevor Denman at Santa Anita and call the third race.
Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., opens Friday for its 15-day season. The featured race is the Transylvania Stakes, the eighth on the program, and its field of 10 includes four stakes winners. The most intriguing of those is Rahy's Secret. After winning the Black Gold Handicap at Fair Grounds, he moved from the turf to the main track, where he finished third in the Risen Star Stakes behind Dollar Bill. But Rahy's Secret is probably more effective on the turf, and he'll return to the grass in the Transylvania, where he makes his first start for trainer Steve Hobby.
Also at Keeneland, in the second race, Rock Slide gets an opportunity to make good on his promise of potential. He has trained in the mornings as if he's destined to be a stakes horse. But in two races in the afternoon, he has finished third and fifth. It's left to jockey Pat Day to get the big colt's mind on racing.
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