Rapping

- Rap Tale is 8-1 in the 8th at Belmont this evening on the second twilight card of the year. This is her turf debut, and what trainer Bruce Brown (a winner in yesterday's 9th) has been looking forward to ever since Kasey K won a five way shake against Asmussen, amongst others, to claim her last month. She won a dirt sprint in her first off the claim. She sports a modest turf Tomlinson of 291. But if you go back to her third dam, you'll find that she's a half to Lyphard; and, underneath her, you'll find descendants such as Ashkal Way and Donatello.

So there's some grass blood in there somewhere, and trainer Brown feels that she has an extreme case of turf foot. She's also gained 100 pounds since the claim, perhaps, Bob and I were discussing yesterday, due to a kinder workout regime under Brown than under the Pletcher Program from which she was claimed. So we're cautiously optimistic, and hoping for the best today; especially because, if she does take to grass, there's a stakes for Virginia-breds down at Colonial that could be next. If we can get any kind of black type on this one, she could have some significant value as a broodmare with her fine pedigree. Bob will be giving me the live call on the phone, as we're down here in Florida.

Song of Love is the morning line favorite for Barclay Tagg; this will be the grass debut for this half-sister, by Changeintheweather (Gone West), to Nobiz Like Shobiz. Not too often we see a sibling to a major graded stakes winner by such an obscure sire. Amongst the runners who have run on the grass, Senor Rita Lady (3-1) closed strongly in her grass debut for Violette, and figures to love the stretch out, being by Fusaichi Pegasus out of a Pleasant Colony mare. Queens Full (4-1) has shown some late foot for the hot Clement barn. And Receipt steps up to face winners after graduating for Shug; she's a typically blue-blooded Phipps-bred by Dynaformer who sports a grass Tomlinson of 363. Good luck everyone, and have a great day!