Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Monday, May 29

By Bailey Gallison —-

ANOTHER ISAAC MURPHY THE PLAN FOR PUNTSVILLE

Puntsville, winner of the 2016 Isaac Murphy Handicap at Arlington International Racecourse, will look to repeat the effort in this year’s edition on June 10. S. D Brilie, Ltd. Partnership’s stakes winner made her seasonal debut last Friday with an emphatic six-length victory over Marquee Miss in a six-furlong allowance event over the Polytrack. Going to post as the second betting choice in a field of five fillies and mares, the 5-year-old moved swiftly to lead the field through opening splits of 22.52, 45.53, and 57.65, crossing the wire in a final time of 1:10.65 under jockey Victor Santiago.

“She’s shown she runs great when she’s fresh,” said trainer Michelle Boyce. “She was ready. It was a prep; hopefully that’s all she needs.”

Bred in Illinois by her owners, Puntsville debuted at Arlington as a 2-year-old, breaking her maiden in her second start over the Polytrack before finishing fourth in the Arlington-Washington Lassie. As a 3-year-old, Puntsville earned five wins from eight starts, including the Pershing Handicap at Hawthorne Race Course to complete the season. She came back seven months later to win the Isaac Murphy at Arlington and followed it up with a second-place finish in the Brandywine Stakes over turf at Indiana Grand Race Course.

In total, Puntsville has five victories and two second-place finishes from 10 career starts at Arlington. A stakes winner on the dirt and synthetic, as well as stakes-placed on the turf, Puntsville is a daughter of top Illinois sire Cashel Castle, who was relocated last fall to Swifty Farms in Indiana for stud duties. Puntsville’s dam Deville also produced 2016 Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity winner Devileye.

VALDIVIA TAKES DOWN TRIPLE ON SUNDAY

Arlington International Racecourse’s 2016 Leading Jockey Jose Valdivia, Jr. increased his lead for the 2017 season on Sunday, May 28 by winning three on the day’s card. Beginning with the early double, Valdivia navigated Paul Kessel’s Straight Up Smarty ($2.80) to a five-length maiden win for trainer Wayne Catalano, then sat chilly aboard Patricia’s Hope LLC’s Prince Cheval ($2.40) as the Larry Rivelli trainee cruised to a 13 ½-length victory over his competition.

His third win of the day came in the fourth race aboard Pedi Racing LLC and Rivelli’s My Darling Sofia ($4.20), bringing his meet total to 22 wins in 70 starts, a 12 win advantage over Santo Sanjur in the jockey standings. Valdivia won the 2016 meet title with 100 wins.