3YO Fillies Set to Make Buzz in Honeybee

With the impending scratch of 3-1 morning line favorite Promise Me Silver (Silver City) due to concerns over travel and track conditions, the complexion of today's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Park is vastly changed. No longer forced to confront the unbeaten grey, a field of eight sophomore fillies will go to post in the 1 1/16-mile event, headlined by co-favorites Sarah Sis (Sharp Humor) and Pangburn (Congrats). The former compiled two wins from three starts as a juvenile, including a four-length allowance score over 6 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 11. The dark bay returned from a brief freshening with two narrow runner-up efforts in stakes earlier at this meet, finishing a neck behind Promise Me Silver in the six-panel Dixie Belle S. Jan. 15 and a head behind reigining juvenile champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) in the one-mile Martha Washington S. Jan. 31. “I think she's learning how to run and maturing,” said trainer Ingrid Mason. “Sometimes you've got to take that slow, and that's why I didn't run her for two months prior to coming here. I wanted her to grow up.” 
   Pangburn, owned by Shortleaf Stable Inc. and trained by Ken McPeek, won her career debut on the lawn at Ellis Park July 12 and followed with a second-place effort in the GII Pocahontas S. over today's same trip at Churchill Downs Sept. 6. The bay returned from a layoff with a rallying score in a trip-and-track allowance score Feb. 20. Bootsy's Girl (Summer Bird)–a dominant maiden winner here Jan. 24–finished third behind Pangburn in that race after a troubled trip, and gets a chance to turn the tables in her stakes debut today. Gary and Mary West's Oceanwave (Harlan's Holiday) is an intriguing stretch-out candidate. A winner at second asking over subsequent GSP Lassofthemohicans (Indian Charlie) going seven furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 19, she swept to the front to win a local six-panel optional claimer by 3 3/4 lengths Jan. 22. The Wayne Catalano trainee registered a four-furlong bullet work Mar. 2–the fastest of 130 at the distance–in preparation for this try. Robert C. Baker and William L. Mack's Super Saks (Sky Mesa) figures to be a pace factor coming off a wire-to-wire score in a maiden event Jan. 30 for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.