Critical Eye has won two allowance races on the turf and was a close second to top New York-bred filly Shopping For Love in the Ticonderoga last year. She also jumped up to win the Gazelle (gr. I) here by a nose last September at better than 24-1.Irish-bred Playact, trained by Christophe Clement, comes into the Sheepshead Bay off a pair of a 1 1/2 mile turf races at Keeneland. She won an allowance in her first start at the Lexington, Ky., track, then was second in the grade III Bewitch, just missing by a head after coming from well off the pace. Clement will also start Aiglonne. The field for the Sheepshead Bay includes: Aiglonne (Robbie Davis) 115; Playact (John Velazquez) 117; Lady D' Jour (Shaun Bridgmohan) 109; Unbridled Waters (Richard Migliore) 111; Janet (David Flores) 118; Just A Ginny (Aaron Gryder) 113; Critical Eye (Mike Luzzi) 114.
Critical Eye has won on turf, mud, going short and going long, but the only question remaining is just how long can she go. Critical Eye will be tested in Saturday's 11-furlong $150,000 Sheepshead Bay Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park.The 4-year-old daughter of Dynaformer has won at a 1 1/8, but her only start beyond that distance was a fourth place finish in the Alabama Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga."She can gallop for six miles and not get tired," said Scott Schwartz, who trains the filly for Herbert and Carol Schwartz, his father and stepmother. "The key to her getting the distance will be how the pace sets up."
