The two best sprinters in Saturday’s 32nd running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Bold Ruler Handicap share one thing in common: they both have not raced since August. Despite their vacations, Anew and Songster’s 2006 campaigns make them the horses to beat in six-furlong heat.

Songster will be the clear favorite Saturday over Anew and three other rivals in the Bold Ruler. In the middle of 2006, Songster won a pair of stakes, the Grade 3 Hirsch Jacobs at Pimlico and the Grade 2 Woody Stephens Breeders’ Cup here on Belmont Stakes Day.

In his final two starts of 2006, Songster disappointed at Saratoga. Sent off a heavy 15-100 favorite in the Grade 2 Amsterdam, the Songandaprayer colt relented to longshot Court Folly. Then, in the Grade 1 King’s Bishop a month later, he faded to be a well-beaten fifth after making an early three-wide move.

Last year, Songster was campaigned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum’s Darley Stable and trained by Tom Albertrani. For 2007, Songster has been moved to the Sheikh’s Godolphin Stable and is being trainer by Saeed bin Suroor and his top guy in New York, Rick Mettee.

“Tommy (Albertrani) gave him a break after Saratoga last year,” Mettee said. “I don’t think there was anything particularly wrong with him, but Tommy felt he was tailing off after facing some pretty tough horses. He had a couple works for Tommy this winter at Payson Park (Fla.) before he came over to our barn.”

Mettee thinks Songster will put together a strong four-year-old season and likes what he has seen in the colt’s training.

“He’s another one of those speed horses who is generous in his workouts,” Mettee said. “He had a real good breeze here the other day (four furlongs in :47 2/5, handily, May 4th), so I expect him to come out running.”

The Bold Ruler should be a good starting point to the year for Songster, who has bigger fish to fry later in the season.

“Given his pedigree and all, he’s a horse you’d like to punch out a Grade 1 with,” Mettee said. “They’re not easy on this circuit.”

Edgar Prado rode Songster last year in all his starts and retains the mount on the 117-pound Bold Ruler highweight.

Chrome Cowboy Racing Stable’s Anew enjoyed a roller coaster ride in 2006, going from being a $25,000 claimer to a Grade 2 stakes winner in less than four months.

The son of Awesome Again was gelded in the beginning of last year, which greatly contributed to his marked improvement. After rattling off consecutive wins in a $25,000 claimer, a second-level allowance and a starter handicap, Anew led all the way to score a sharp 3 ½-length win in the Grade 2 True North.

Like Songster, Anew tailed off in his final two starts of 2006, finishing a distant fourth in the Grade 2 Tom Fool and then sixth in Monmouth’s ungraded Teddy Drone.

“He stumbled at the start of the Teddy Drone and grabbed a quarter pretty bad,” said Toby Sheets, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen.

Sheets wishes Anew did not have to hook Songster in his first start since August 6th, but options were limited.

“He’s eligible for starter handicaps, but those races probably wouldn’t fill if other trainers knew Anew was in there,” Sheets said. “It would have been nice to come back in an easier spot.”

John Velazquez picks up the mount on Anew, who will carry 116 pounds and break right outside Songster in post three.

The Dutrow brothers will each run a horse in the Bold Ruler. Richard Dutrow Jr. sends out IEAH Stables’ Dark Cheetah while Tony Dutrow saddles Michael Dubb’s Dashboard Drummer.

Dark Cheetah, a five-year-old gelding, has been a bit inconsistent recently. He won a high-level allowance at Gulfstream January 25th, but then faltered with a seventh-place finish in the Richter Scale Breeders’ Cup March 3rd. The son of Storm Cat did run well in last year’s Bold Ruler, however, finishing second to True North runner-up Tiger.

Dashboard Drummer comes into the Bold Ruler off two straight wins in allowance company after he was claimed for $55,000 in January.

Completing the Bold Ruler field is Paraneck Stable’s Pavo, who finished sixth in his last start, the $77,000 Jim McKay at Pimlico.

Dubb is a 51-year-old real estate developer in the metropolitan area. He was approached by Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey for advise on how to build the Belmont Child Care Center. He helped obtain permits and donated a large part of the facility. On the racetrack, Dubb has owned stakes winners Alysweep and Tom’s Thunder. He will be represented by Dashboard Drummer in the Bold Ruler Handicap.