Weekend Graded Stakes Action

I'll have a more in-depth preview of this weekend's graded stakes races a little later on tonight, specifically the two Derby prep races - the Whirlaway and the Bob Lewis.  Until then here is a list of this weekend's graded stakes action along with a few notes and observations:

• The year's version of the G1-Donn Handicap looks pretty weak at first glance.  While there are some decent G2 and G3 horses entered it's tough not to envision Quality Road romping over this field.
• Never On Sunday (Fr), winner of the Group 1-Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp last May, will make his North American debut in the G1-Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in what looks to be a small, but highly competitive field.
• The G3-Suwannee River Handicap on the lawn rounds out a nice late Pick 3 at Gulfstream with a full field of twelve expected to go to post.  At first glance, the 8-Totti (GB) looks like a potential value play at 8/1 on the morning line.
• In the G1-Las Virgenes, Blind Luck returns to race for the first time since her dominating win in the G1-Hollywood Starlet right before Christmas.  She's 1/2 on the ML against what looks to be an over-matched field of three year old fillies.
• Seven three year old colts are expected to go to the post in the G2-Robert B. Lewis Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth.  American Lion, Tiz Chrome, and Dave in Dixie tower over the rest of the field.
• Gallant Son, the Emerald Downs champion two year old colt in 2008, pops up in the G2-Strub Stakes at Santa Anita where he'll face the difficult task of trying to take down Bob Baffert's Misremembered (8/5 on the ML).
• Interactif, a three year old trainee of Todd Pletcher that has found a home on the turf, is the likely favorite in the G3-Hallandale Beach Handicap at Gulfstream on Sunday.  Given his affinity for the grass, I would expect this colt to be pointed towards the three year old turf stakes at Colonial Downs and Arlington Park later on this summer.