Marina Ballerina overcame a nightmarish trip winning the "Cool Air Stakes" when she returned to South Florida two weeks ago. But she encountered no such problems in the $75,000 "U Can Do It" Stakes. Leading nearly every step of the six furlong race under confident handling from jockey Paco Lopez (his third winner of the day) to post a one and three-quarter length triumph over "Jessica Is Back" in a prep for the Grade 1 "Princess Rooney Handicap". B R'S Girl finished third.

Marina Ballerina, a daughter of Outflanker was transferred to trainer Kirk Ziadie's barn by owner Robert Pastor earlier this season. The win was her third in as many starts at Calder. The running time was 110:4.

by Mike Welsch-Daily Racing Form

Paco Lopez, the Eclipse Award winning apprentice jockey of 2008, will move his tack to Belmont Park beginning Thursday, his agent, Cory Moran said. Since the end of the Gulfstream meet, Lopez has been splitting time between Belmont and Monmouth Park, but had been planning to ride regularly at Monmouth. However, after riding three winners here on May 6, Lopez attracted enough interest from several New York horsemen who also watched him ride with success at Gulfstream over the winter to convince him to try the Belmont meet. "We are having a good feel about it after speaking with horsemen in New York." Moran said. We want to give it a try, at least up until Saratoga, and see where we're at. When it comes to riding ability, Paco has competed with the same jockey colony all winter at Gulfstream Park and wasn't too far from second leading rider.' Lopez was the eighth-leading rider at Gulfstream, but missed significant time due to riding suspensions from his days at Calder. Lopez is the regular rider of Smooth Air, who finished second in Monday's Metropolitan Handicap, and is expected to keep that mount.----by David Grening-Daily Racing Form

Providing one of the Met Mile's most exciting finishes; Bribon, with Alan Garcia, captured the traditional Memorial Day Handicap at Belmont Park yesterday a half lenght front of "Smooth Air", with jockey Paco Lopez up. In deep stretch, Smooth Air and Bribon were stride-for-stride, and in the final yards Bribon surged ahead to win.

At 118 pounds, Smooth Air is the starting highweight in a wide-open 116th renewal of the Grade 1 $600,000 Shadwell Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park this monday.