Queue Hopes to Add La Prevoyante to Resume

From Calder Racecourse
Gerald Robins and Jay Weiss' 4-year-old filly Queue will attempt to add another grade II stakes victory to her growing resume when she goes to the post among the choices in the $150,000 La Prevoyante Handicap (gr. II) as part of "Grand Slam II" at Calder on Sat., Dec. 29.

"She'll have one more work, probably on Monday," said trainer Vinnie Blengs from his Gulfstream headquarters Friday morning. "The only question is her style and the course at Calder. She comes from way out of it and has been running over bigger turf courses in most of her races. If the course favors speed, that could play against her."

A Kentucky homebred daughter of French Deputy, Queue scored her most important career victory last out when she rallied from 12th to win the Long Island Handicap (G2) at Aqueduct by 2 1/2 on Nov. 10 going 11 furlongs.

Winner of the New Castle Stakes at Delaware Park, Queue finished second in the Violet Handicap (G3) and Navajo Princess Stakes at Meadowlands in her two starts prior to the Long Island, beaten a head and 3/4 length, respectively.

"She might have won both of them but had some traffic trouble," says Blengs. "But that comes with the territory when that's their style." The Violet was a particularly good effort as the chestnut filly rallied from last of 12 to just miss behind Clearly A Queen at 1 1/16 miles, well short of her best distance. Regular rider Jose Espinoza will be on hand for the mount.

Queue began her career at Calder as a 2-year-old with trainer Frank Gomez. With limited opportunities here over the summer for a graded stakes turf runner, she first went north with Blengs in the spring of 2000 and she won races at Pimlico and Belmont Park.

Back with Gomez for three races last winter, Queue's best finish was a runner-up effort in the Calder Oaks. This winter, Blengs will continue to guide the emerging star's career. The trainer nearly won the 1994 renewal with Putthepowdertoit, who led to inside the furlong marker before checking in second behind Trampoli.