Arlington Barn Notes: State-bred Stakes Highlight Saturday Card

By Bailey Gallison —-

• Luvin Bullies Gets Bullish Win

STATE-BRED STAKES HIGHLIGHT SATURDAY CARD

Saturday’s card at Arlington International Racecourse will feature two stakes for Illinois-bred 3-year-olds going a mile on the Polytrack, beginning with the 40th running of the Purple Violet Stakes in the fifth race . The field of eight fillies includes the top two finishers from the 2016 Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante Stakes. Lizabeth Gore’s stakes-winner Babybluesbdancing, trained by Terrel Gore, will be making her third start as a 3-year-old and will get Julio Felix back aboard to ride from post two. Edgar Perez will take the mount on Debutante runner-up Spring City Gal for Marion Gorham, breaking from post four on the Robert Gorham trainee.

Hope N Wishes (Santo Sanjur, post one) and Shezahotmama (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post six) are coming off wins already this season over the main track at Arlington. William and Dianna Shaffer’s Hope N Wishes nailed back-to-back wins at six-furlongs for trainer Carlos Silva, including a three-length victory on May 14. Larry Rivelli trainee Shezahotmama seemed to relish going two-turns on the main track recently, winning by 5¾-lengths the first time routing for V-Leaf Stables LLC and Richard Ravin.

Konza Khrome (Chris Emigh, post three), Kalispell (Pedro Cotto, Jr., post five), Countess St Michel (Sebastian Saez, post seven), and Romancin N Dancin (C. H. Marquez, Jr., post eight) complete the field for the Purple Violet Stakes.

In the following race, eight colts and geldings assemble for the 28th running of the Springfield Stakes. Making a return to stakes company will be Richard Ravin and Patricia’s Hope LLC’s Riv. The Rivelli-trained colt has won impressively in his two starts this year, and will try to earn his first black type breaking from gate four with Pedro Cotto, Jr. in the irons.

Third in last year’s Illinois Futurity at Hawthorne Racecourse, Dundalk 5 LLC’s All Strikes is still chasing his maiden victory for trainer Dee Poulos. The stakes-placed gelding will try to improve on the Polytrack while starting from post seven with jockey C. H. Marquez, Jr. aboard.

Completing the field for the Springfield Stakes is Don’t Split Tens (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post one), Cat’s Runaway (Julio Felix, post two), On The Lam (Edgar Perez, post three), Go Oshie Go (Sebastian Saez, post five), R Fast Life (Santo Sanjur, post six), and Smoke ‘N’ Gloat (Chris Emigh, post eight).

LUVIN BULLIES GETS BULLISH WIN

Trainer Hugh Robertson saddled Luvin Bullies to her first win in 22 months, a well-earned victory for Jeff Larson’s 5-year-old filly. The daughter of Flashy Bull had finished second in half of her previous 10 starts, losing by a length or less in each of the grass sprints no matter what running style her rider opted for. With leading-rider Jose Valdivia, Jr. aboard for the first time, Luvin Bullies tracked the leading pack through the turn and under the urging of her jockey, split horses in the stretch to win by 1¾ lengths.

“It was the first time I ever sat on her,” said Valdivia. “You [could tell she was] class the moment we stepped on the track. When they act like that they give you a lot of confidence. On the turn, I could have tipped her out and been five wide the whole way, but I felt like I was loaded and all I needed to do was find a little seam.”

Luvin Bullies is out of the Not For Love mare Little Luvins, a full sister to the stakes-placed earner of $175,036 My Pretty Woman. Breeder Equus Farm sold Little Luvins in foal to Flashy Bull for $5,000 at the Keeneland sale in November 2011. Select Sale purchased the mare and sold the resulting foal, Luvin Bullies at Keeneland September Yearling sale in 2013 for $17,000 to Jeff Larson. This was Luvin Bullies third win in 21 starts – in total she has earned $116,935 on the racetrack.

“It’s tough to get her to win races back-to-back,” said Robertson. “She came out of the race fine; we’ll see what races come up for her.”