October 31 - Despite having a lack luster year, four-year-old filly Sheets may have turned the corner, according to her trainer Alan Goldberg, which means she could be in with a real shot to pull a win out of the 'Halloween' bag in tonight's $60,000 Witches Brew Stakes at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.

Goldberg freely admits that earlier this year he asked Sheets' owner Robert Masterson to send the filly to someone else as he could not fathom why she wasn't performing better than she was. Masterson declined and good thing he did too, because in her last few outings the four-year-old has greatly improved.

As such her connections are clearly excited about the five furlong Witches Brew Stakes for thoroughbred gray and roan horses (which is scheduled to take place on Meadowlands' turf course provided the rain stays away from Rutherford). It will see Sheets going up against 11 other strong three-year-old contenders.

Said Goldberg, 'I'm not sure why but in her last few races Sheets seemed to step it up a notch, finally showing us the kind of form she is capable of. When she joined my stable last year she only managed a fifth place in each of her first three races. However, later on in the year she started to surprise us.'

At Monmouth Park in late August Sheets finished third in a fourth-level allowance race. Shortly afterwards the filly dazzled with an unexpected, but convincing victory in the $200,000 Turf Amazon Stakes at Philadelphia Park - going into the race a 20 to1 long shot. In her most recent race she finished amongst the leaders.

While she only managed a third in the $109,000 Xtra Heat Stakes at Belmont Park recently, she was up with the pacesetters for most of the race showing that she is growing increasingly comfortable with being at the front of the field. But while Goldberg may be scratching his head at her new form, he has embraced it.

In tonight's race at Meadowlands Racetrack in Rutherford, Sheets will be going up against amongst others House Quest, Anofficerandalady and Beau Dare, all of which have run some impressive races of late. Masterson and Goldberg will surely be keeping their fingers crossed that the filly can hold them off.

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2012/04/02 06:43:41 AM