Illinois Derby (gr. II) winner War Emblem's half-sister Pretty Gale returns from a front-running win in the listed Lady Hallie Handicap two weeks ago to attempt her first graded stakes in Sunday's $300,000 Sixty Sails Handicap at Sportsman's Park.
Russell L. Reineman Stable's Pretty Gale won the 1 1/16-mile Lady Hallie by 7 1/4 lengths but will have to face Katy Kat in the Sixty Sails. That rival defeated Pretty Gale by 2 3/4 lengths in the Bayou Breeders' Cup at Fair Grounds in early March. The Frank Springer-trained Pretty Gale is a 4-year-old daughter of Mountain Cat who has won five of 15 career starts.
Pretty Gal will likely have company in the early stages of the race as front-running With Ability drew the rail. Edward Evans' 4-year-old homebred enters the Sixty Sails following a 5 1/4-length romp in the Next Move Handicap (gr. III) at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Sixty Sails. With Ability is a Mark Hennig-trained daughter of A.P. Indy out of the Mr. Prospector mare Withallprobability, who also produced La Canada Stakes (gr. II) winner Summer Colony's dam, Probable Colony.
The 7-5 morning-line favorite, though, is WinStar Farm's Pompeii. The 5-year-old daughter of Broad Brush will be making her first start since the Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), in which she finished 11th. Pompeii won the Personal Ensign Handicap (gr. I) shortly after WinStar purchased her from Robert Clay and is winless in two grade I races since switching to trainer Elliott Walden's barn.
The Sixty Sails field will consist of:
1--With Ability, Javier Castellano, 115, 4-1
2--Pretty Gale, Larry Sterling Jr., 115, 6-1
3--Cecilia's Crown, Guadalupe Macias, 112, 20-1
4--Lakenheath, Eusebio Razo Jr., 112, 10-1
5--Becky Virtue, Anthony D'Amico, 112, 8-1
6--Katy Kat, Robby Albarado, 116, 3-1
7--Pompeii, Pat Day, 120, 7-5
