Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Friday, June 1, 2018

By Bailey Gallison —-

THE TABULATOR TAKES A CRACK AT NEW YORK STAKES

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival tends to attract some of the top Thoroughbreds from just about every major circuit in North America. Next Saturday, Carolyn Wilson’s graded stakes winner The Tabulator will carry the Arlington International Racecourse banner when he takes a shot at more stakes action on the Belmont undercard – but which stakes race has yet to be decided.

Trainer Larry Rivelli previously stated that the 3-year-old son of Dialed In would race in the Grade II $400,000 Woody Stephens Stakes, but is also considering the $150,000 Easy Goer Stakes. The former of the two is run at a distance of seven furlongs while the latter is 1 1/16 miles. Both events are contested for 3-year-olds on Belmont Park’s main track.

“He’s ready to go,” Rivelli said. “I’m either going (to the Woody Stephens Stakes) or the Easy Goer. I’m just trying to get a feel for each spot. He’s training great and flying out of Louisville on [June 6] He’ll be there, God willing.”

The Tabulator made his sophomore debut a winning one when taking the Golden Circle Stakes at Prairie Meadows by 6¼ lengths on May 3. As a 2-year-old, he broke his maiden at first asking over Arlington’s all-weather surface by nine lengths before scoring a stakes win at Prairie Meadows in the Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes. The Tabulator then shipped to Churchill Downs to win the Grade III Iroquois Stakes when trying 1 1/16 miles for the first time. His only loss took place in his following start which was a fifth-place finish in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile behind eventual Grade I Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic.

The Tabulator put in a bullet work on May 27 in preparation for his next start, covering five furlongs on the Polytrack in 58.1. He was purchased for $460,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in March 2017 from Wavertree Stables consignment operation, his third successful foray through the sales ring. He is out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Fly to the Stars who has produced four other foals, all of which are winners.

BOYCE WELL REPRESENTED IN SATURDAY STAKES PAIR

Trainer Michele Boyce is sending out a strong pair of Illinois-breds for owner S.D. Brilie in Arlington International Racecourse’s two stakes events on Saturday afternoon with Devileye in the Addison Cammack Memorial Handicap and Puntsville in the Isaac Murphy Handicap. Both races carry a purse of $75,000.

Devileye breaks from post six under Carlos Marquez, Jr. at odds of 7-2 on the morning line set by Joe Kristufek. The 4-year-old son of Indygo Shiner has never been worse than second in eight career starts, which include stakes victories in the 2016 Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity at Hawthorne and the Arlington Heights Stakes last September at the Chicagoland oval In both starts where Devileye was second, he was defeated by Goneghost – the 8-5 second-choice in the Addison Cammack Memorial. The race also features open company stakes winner Recount, who is the 7-5 morning line favorite.

“I don’t know that we’ll be the favorite in the (Addison Cammack Memorial Handicap), we’re about fourth weight,” Boyce said. “It’s an extremely tough race for a small field.”

In the Isaac Murphy Handicap, Puntsville will make her 6-year-old debut. The homebred daughter of Cashel Castle last raced in the Powerless Handicap at Hawthorne in November, where she was beaten a neck by Shar Ran. She is the 4-5 morning line favorite in the nine-horse field.

“Puntsville is going to try and do her thing again, even as she’s getting a little age on her,” Boyce said. “They both have trained well up to this race. At least [Devileye] had a prep. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get one for her.”

Puntsville is a three-time stakes winner and won the 2016 edition of the Isaac Murphy Handicap without a prep race after a long spell. Like her stablemate Devileye, she also will be guided by jockey Carlos Marquez, Jr. on Saturday afternoon.