Arlington Park: Banner day for S.D. Brilie Stables

By Bailey Gallison —-

S. D. BRILIE SWEEP STATE-BRED STAKES WITH DEVILEYE IN ADDISON CAMMACK MEMORIAL, PUNTSVILLE IN ISAAC MURPHY

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (June 2, 2018) – It was a banner day at Arlington International Racecourse for the local stable of S. D. Brilie as they captured both state-bred stakes on the day’s card.

It started with the fifth race, the 20th running of the $61,725 Addison Cammack Memorial Handicap when their homebred Devileye took the race under the guidance of Carlos Marquez, Jr. for trainer Michele Boyce. Not run in 2017, the six-furlong event for 3-year-olds and upward on the main track was off to a quick start as James and Lois Tripp’s Steve Manley-trained Spectacular Road and William Stiritz’s Scott Becker trainee Goneghost broke well ahead of the field. Jockey Chris Emigh took ahold of Goneghost as Jose Lopez let Spectacular Road set fractions of 22.23 and 45.25 before Emigh asked his mount to pass the tiring frontrunner on the turn. Meanwhile Marquez was riding Devileye from second-last to the front, passing the pair in 57.04 before expanding his lead in the stretch to stop the clock at 1:09.23, 1¾ lengths in front of Goneghost. Spectacular Road finished another 6¾-lengths back in third.

“I want to thank Diane and Steve Holland for giving me the opportunity to ride a nice horse and Michele for believing in me,” said Marquez. “The last time I rode this horse was the first time, and we got along very well. I watched a couple of the races he had last year with Santo [Sanjur] and just did what he did.”

“He ran hard,” said Emigh of Goneghost. “[Spectacular Road] was running hard too so I let him go. We sat second and he relaxed. I thought I had some horse left at the end, but Devileye was just running down the lane.”

“Steve told me, ‘Maybe no one will end up going to the lead, just see what we can do in the race,’” said Lopez about his pacesetting trip. “It was a tough race but he ran a good third.”

Devileye is a 4-year-old son of Indygo Shiner. Winning for the 7th time in 9 career starts, he earned $32,385 for the effort to bring his career earnings to $207,261. Devileye returned $7.80, $2.80 and $2.40. Goneghost paid $2.20 and $2.10, while Spectacular Road returned $2.80.

Recount and Purely Given rounded out the field. D’ Rapper was scratched.

Two races later, it was S. D. Brilie’s victory once again as Michele Boyce trainee Puntsville wired the field in the 39th running of the $72,275 Isaac Murphy Handicap at Arlington International Racecourse. The six-furlong event on the main track for fillies and mares 3-years-old and upward began with a sharp break for the betting-favorite Puntsville under rider Carlos Marquez, Jr. Winner of the race in 2016 and runner-up in 2017, Puntsville was all alone on the lead this time as Marquez let her gallop through fractions of 23.05, 46.18 and 58.02, coming home in a final time of 1:10.24 to win by 2¼ lengths.

“She is really fast,” said Marquez. “I got her running and then I just told her to slow it down – :23, :46, that’s very easy for her because she will usually go :44, :45. When they let me go off in :46 I knew they would have to come running hard to beat me because I had a lot of horse.”

Bradlee and Mary Elizabeth Rainwater’s Go Lady Jay, ridden by Edgar Perez, hit the gate at the break before settling mid-field early. The Bradlee Rainwater trainee moved well along the rail through the turn before angling outside the leader as they entered the stretch, but could not match strides with the winner. Town and Country Racing’s Delicate Lady was close to the pace under jockey Mitchell Murrill, but the Chris Davis trainee had to settle for third another ½-length back.

“I was hoping they would run as good as they did – and they did,” said Boyce about her pair of winners.

“She put me a little closer than I thought I was going to be, which was fine since we were going at a pretty decent pace,” said Murrill of Delicate Lady. “When we pulled the trigger she ran well, but [Puntsville] was just a little better.”

Homebred Puntsville, a 6-year-old mare by Cashel Castle, is out of Deville – making her a half-sister to Devileye. She won for the 11th time in 22 career starts and earned $47,461, bringing her total earnings to $378,512. She joins Taylor’s Special (1966-67) as the only two-time winners of the Isaac Murphy Handicap.

Puntsville returned $3.40, $2.60 and $2.20. Go Lady Jay paid $4.60 and $3.20, while Delicate Lady returned $3.40.

Church Road, My Darling Sofia, Game Time Decision, Countess St Michel, and Dr Winn Kyi completed the running order. Dandy Gal was scratched.

Arlington International Racecourse – the Chicago area’s premier Thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Ill. – will run a 71-day meet in 2018 from May 4 through September 22. Arlington International Racecourse, whose parent company is Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), also operates 10 off-track, simulcast-wagering facilities in Aurora, Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Waukegan, Villa Park, Rockford, Hodgkins, McHenry, Green Oaks and Orland Hills. Arlington International Racecourse is a proud member of America’s Best Racing. Information on Arlington International Racecourse and Trackside OTB can be found online at www.arlingtonpark.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arlingtonpark and www.facebook.com/tracksideotb, and on Twitter at @Arlington_Park for the latest happenings, @ArlingtonRacing for the latest racing news and @TracksideOTB for all things pertaining to off-track wagering.