US expert Tom Collins sticks with last year's winner in the Miranda Diane Stakes

Stephen's Answer
8.45 Will Rogers Downs
1pt win

Spring Steen
11.15 Will Rogers Downs
2pts win

Monday evenings at Will Rogers Downs always feel like a return to normality after the highs of classy weekend cards at Gulfstream Park, Oaklawn Park and Tampa Bay Downs.

The Oklahoma track is far from the most aesthetically pleasing track in the US and isn't the easiest at which to tip winners, but the $55,000 Miranda Diane Stakes (11.15) at least provides a touch of quality on its ten-race card.

Ken Smith's Three Chords is likely to go off favourite on her first start at Will Rogers Downs after splitting her time at the aforementioned Oaklawn and Remington Park.

She is an eight-time winner from 20 outings, so certainly knows how to win, and takes a marked drop in class after competing in a couple of allowance optional claimers in February.

However, she hasn't been seen for two months, hasn't drawn ideally in gate six (speed inside) and didn't look the same mare on her last two starts when unable to get to the front, albeit in much stronger races.

With a morning line price of 2-1, Three Chords looks one to take on and I prefer the chance of Spring Steen, who won the Miranda Diane last year in comprehensive fashion.

Drawn in gate two with a closer inside, Spring Steen appears to have the perfect passage to the front and rider Ry Eikleberry will look to hug the rail throughout the 6f contest.

Despite being a five-year-old, Spring Steen has been lightly raced in her career with just 13 starts to her name, but she has proved prolific with six successes and was never troubled in this race last year when scooting nine lengths clear of five rivals.

She has only won two races since in competitive contests at Canterbury Park. Spring Steen was given a spell on the sidelines from mid-December to the start of April and she clearly needed the run on her return to Will Rogers.

Spring Steen showed little of her customary early zip and had to endure a five-wide trip in a similar race to this, but she should be back on song now.

Given a clean break, Spring Steen has a huge chance of backing up last year's success in this race and I would much rather play her at around 4-1 than the likely favourite, Three Chords.

The only other bet on an otherwise wide-open card is Stephen's Answer, who runs in the $12,100 starter allowance (8.45) for trainer Robertino Diodoro.

Diodoro leads the trainers' title race by one winner over Scott E Young and will hope this prolific scorer can increase his margin.

Stephen's Answer has won ten of 42 starts, five of which came between August and December last year when he was in red-hot form.

He showed stark improvement and notched a Listed victory at Delta Downs in the midst of his streak, which eventually came to an end when he finished fourth in stakes company after a two-month break.

Diodoro has had a stronger hand at Will Rogers as the weeks have gone by and Stephen's Answer joined his team in mid-March, when he appeared unlucky to lose on debut at this venue.

He led for much of the contest and looked a surefire winner turning for home, when he had all his rivals off the bridle and was travelling in hand.

However, his stamina faded away in the final 50 yards and he was picked up by a rallying rival. The duo finished miles clear of the third home and the speed figure was good, so a repeat effort should see him go one better now that he is dropped into easier company.

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