Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Thursday, June 8

By Bailey Gallison —-

• Field of Eight in Isaac Murphy
• Lakota Lucy Takes a Chance on the Turf

FIELD OF EIGHT IN ISAAC MURPHY

Trying to duplicate her 2016 win, S. D. Brilie Ltd. Partnership’s Puntsville will headline the 38th running of the Isaac Murphy Handicap for Illinois-bred fillies and mares on Saturday’s card at Arlington International Racecourse going six furlongs on the main track. Trainer Michele Boyce will give jockey Victor Santiago a leg up to guide the multiple stakes winner from post four in their second start of 2017 after winning their seasonal debut by six lengths last month at Arlington.

Boyce will also saddle Oak Rock Racing LLC, Cherrywood Stables, et al.’s My Mertie (Edgar Perez, post two), a two-length winner of the Third Chance Handicap at Hawthorne in April over fellow Isaac Murphy-entrant, John Truscott’s Bradlee Rainwater trainee and 2016 Purple Violet winner Go Lady Jay (Jesse Lantz, post six). My Mertie is coming off a close second-place finish at Arlington on May 26 behind William Stiritz’s Dandy Gal (Chris Emigh, post three), runner-up in the 2016 Isaac Murphy.

Enchanted Facts (C. H. Marquez, Jr., post one), One Liz (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post five), Church Road (Santo Sanjur, post seven) and Karla With A K (Julio Felix, post eight) complete the field for the Isaac Murphy Stakes.

LAKOTA LUCY TAKES A CHANCE ON THE TURF

Lakota Lucy, a 3-year-old filly out of stakes producer Lakota Girl, will try turf for the first time Friday when sprinting 5½-furlongs against other maidens at Arlington International Racecourse. Lakota Stable’s homebred made her debut at the end of March on the dirt at Hawthorne where she set the pace early and was caught late to finish third, a length from the winner. The Dee Poulos trainee returned three weeks later to a similar result, this time holding second 6¼-lengths behind Hope N Wishes. Trying Polytrack at Arlington in her most recent two starts, the daughter of sire Chicago Six struggled to break well and maintain the early speed she had shown in her races over the dirt.

“She breaks hard,” said Poulos. “Both her starts on the Polytrack, she had trouble getting out from the gate. Hopefully on the turf she can do better.”

Lakota Lucy is a half-sister to 2013 Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante winner Lakotadreamcatcher and 2015 Illinois Debutante runner-up Lakota Rose, who both share the same sire in Fort Prado as well as wins over the grass. Lakota Lucy’s sire Chicago Six is a nine-time stakes winner, including the Grade III National Jockey Club Handicap at Sportsman’s Park, with $733,347 in career earnings. Chicago Six, a son of 1984 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Wild Again, stands at Hill ‘N Dale Farm in Barrington, Illinois.