Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Thursday, June 28, 2018

By Ryan Martin —-

CAPTIVATING MOON COULD RACE BACK IN GRADE III AMERICAN DERBY

Although Captivating Moon ran a game third in Saturday’s Mystic Lake Derby, don’t rule him out of consideration for the Grade III $100,000 American Derby at Arlington International Racecourse, which is run at 1 1/8 miles over the turf on Saturday, July 7.

Owned by Lothenbach Stables and trained by Chris Block, the two-time graded stakes-placed son of Malibu Moon sat well off an honest pace in the one-mile event at Canterbury Park and eventually made a late move down the stretch to complete the trifecta behind Sniper Kitten and Nobrag Justfact.

“I think that the American Derby is still in play,” Block said. “As of right now I would say there’s a good chance he could run but I want to see how his energy level is these next few days.”

Block is still hoping to run Captivating Moon in the Grade I $400,000 Secretariat Stakes, a 1¼-mile event on the turf for 3-year-olds and one of three Grade I events at the International Festival of Racing on Saturday, August 11.

“I think (the Mystic Lake Derby) moved him forward,” Block said. “But I don’t think going to the Secretariat off the last race is the right way to put one toward (the Secretariat Stakes).”

Captivating Moon has either won or placed in his last six starts, which includes runner-up finishes in the Grade III Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland on April 6 and the Grade II American Turf Stakes on May 5. He owns a career debut win at Arlington last summer and an allowance win over the turf at Tampa Bay Downs on February 11.

Another possible American Derby entrant is Emmet Jolly, Jack Randall and Mitch Butler’s Dubby Dubbie who, like Captivating Moon, also raced last weekend. The 3-year-old gelded son
of Ice Box made it two victories in a row in a second level allowance event over Churchill
Downs’ Matt Winn Turf Course on Sunday, where he defeated Grade III Hutchenson Stakes winner Madison’s Luna.

“He tried so hard,” said Dubby Dubbie’s trainer Michelle Lovell. “We were going to run at Canterbury but it was so hot last week and we didn’t want to ship in the weather. When the race at Churchill came up we decided to go there. One mile may have been a bit short for him but should only improve stretching out. We’ll see how he comes out of things but our goal is the American Derby.”

Other possible entrants for the American Derby include trainer Brad Cox’s Grade III Arlington Classic winner Ezmosh and the Ignacio Correas IV-trained pair of Pont Du Gard and Real Story.

The American Derby attracted a total of 18 nominations, which closed on Wednesday, June 27.

BOYCE LOOKS AHEAD WITH STAKES CONTENDERS

Following a repeat victory in Canterbury Park’s Hoist Her Flag Stakes, Puntsville will likely return to the Shakopee, Minnesota oval next month for her next start.

“She might go back to Canterbury, although it may not be for maybe another month or so,” Boyce said. “She likes her races spaced a bit apart. It was close for her to come back in three weeks but she did well. It’s a long trip both ways and in this weather you want to back off as much as you can.”

Owned by S.D. Brilie Partnership, the 6-year-old daughter of Cashel Castle has won both of her starts this year. Prior to Saturday’s victory, Puntsville took the Isaac Murphy Handicap at Arlington, which she won in 2016 and ran second in last year.

One race prior to Puntsville’s victory on Saturday evening, her half-brother Devileye finished a troubled second in the Dark Star Cup Stakes after eventual winner Creative Art drifted into his path in mid-stretch. There was a steward’s inquiry following the race, but there was no change in the order of finish.

The son of Indygo Shiner has never finished worse than second in ten career starts, seven of which were victories. He owns stakes triumphs in Hawthorne Race Course’s Jim Edgar Illinois Futurity as well as last year’s Arlington Heights Stakes and the Addison Cammack Memorial Handicap two starts ago.

Boyce stated that Devileye would see stakes action at Indiana Grand Race Course in July. Joining Devileye on a trip to Indiana will be multiple graded stakes-placed Lovely Loyree, who was fourth in the Lady Canterbury Stakes, and will point for a repeat win in the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff Stakes on July 16.