Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Thursday, August 2, 2018

By Ryan Martin —-

Barn Notes: Thursday, August 2, 2018

DIVISIDERO WORKS HALF-MILE AT FAIR HILL; EYES NEXT GRADE I START

Grade III Arlington Handicap winner Divisidero put in his final work Friday morning for a possible start in the Grade I $1,000,000 Arlington Million on Saturday, August 11. Owned by Gunpowder Farm, the 6-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy breezed a half-mile in :50.00 at Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.

“He worked great,” trainer Kelly Rubley said. “He’s been training forwardly and I’m happy with how he came out the (Arlington Handicap).”

Rubley stated that Divisidero is 50-50 for the Million and could possibly opt for the 1 1/8-miles Grade I $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga Race Course on the same day as the Million.

Should he race at the Chicagoland oval, he will be looking to make amends after a seventh-place finish in last year’s edition where he finished 2½ lengths behind Beach Patrol. Divisidero broke from post eleven and sat well off the pace early before making up ground with very little asking from jockey Julien Leparoux, but was wide around the final turn and did not have enough to finish in the money.

Although Divisidero is winless in four tries at the Arlington Million’s mile-and-a-quarter distance, Rubley doesn’t see it as a hindrance to her charge.

“I don’t mind the distance – his running style suits it,” Rubley said. “He’s versatile and he’s competitive at a mile-and-a-quarter I have a lot of confidence in this horse.”

Regardless of whether he races in the Arlington Million or the Fourstardave, Divisidero will be attempting his third Grade I victory. He won back-to-back editions of the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs when under the care of former conditioner William “Buff” Bradley.

In either race, jockey Jevian Toledo will retain the mount.

Prior to the Arlington Handicap, Divisidero was second to fellow Million possible contender Money Multiplier in the Grade II Monmouth Stakes at its namesake track on May 26 and then a close fourth in the Grade II Wise Dan Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 16 behind Mr. Misunderstood. In both starts, Divisidero was beaten only three-quarters of a length.

Divisidero was bred in Kentucky by Hinkle Farms and is the fourth foal out of the Lemon Drop Kid broodmare Madame Du Lac. He was purchased for $250,000 by Margaux Farm from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2015 where he was consigned by his breeders.

The Arlington Million is one of five stakes carded for the International Festival of Racing. The 1¼-mile event for 3-year-olds and upward over the turf is a “Win and You’re In” event for the Grade I $4,000,000 Longines Breeders’ Cup Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

The $100,000 Bruce D. Memorial Stakes, Grade III $100,000 Pucker Up Stakes, Grade I $600,000 Beverly D. and Grade I $400,000 Secretariat Stakes also highlight the turf festival.

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR DADDYS LIL DARLING IN BEVERLY D.

Trainer Kenny McPeek is confident in his graded stakes winner Daddys Lil Darling as she points toward the Grade I $600,000 Beverly D. at Arlington International Racecourse on Saturday, Aug. 11. The 1 3/16-mile event for fillies and mares over the turf is a “Win and You’re In” event for the Grade I $2,000,000 Longines Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Churchill Downs on Nov. 3.

Owned by Nancy K. Polk’s Normandy Farm, the 4-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy held off a late charge from fellow Beverly D. possible entrant Prado’s Sweet Ride in the stretch of the Grade III Modesty Handicap at Arlington on July 7, which was her third start of 2018. Her two prior efforts were a runner-up finish in the Grade III Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse and a third in the Grade II New York Handicap at Belmont behind Chad Brown-trained pair Fourstar Crook and Sistercharlie (IRE), who also are pointing for the Beverly D.

“She was good that day I think it was a good spot leading into this next one,” McPeek said of her Modesty Handicap triumph. “It’s supposed to be tougher, like any time you step up from Grade III to Grade I, but she’s done it before and I’m pretty confident coming in that this will be a good next spot and that she can do it again.”

Her lone Grade I victory took place in the Grade I American Oaks at Santa Anita on December 30 which was the final start of her sophomore campaign. Daddys Lil Darling most recently breezed half-mile in :50.00 over the turf at Keeneland on July 27 in preparation for her next start.

“Obviously you hope she ships up and back well, and that there’s enough pace in the race,” McPeek said. “Things have to set up for her and it’s no sure thing. Obviously it’s going to be a little tougher. She will continue to run without Lasix; most people don’t realize she doesn’t run with Lasix. I think she runs better without it she doesn’t need it.”

Daddys Lil Darling is a half-sister to 2015 Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winnter Mongolian Saturday. With a victory in the Modesty Handicap, Daddys Lil Darling put sire Scat Daddy atop the standings of graded stakes winning sires this season. He has sired eleven graded stakes winners this year.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will be aboard Daddys Lil Darling. He will be looking for his first victory in the Beverly D. His best finish came with a second aboard Maxzene in the 1997 edition.

The Beverly D. is one of five stakes carded for the International Festival of Racing. The $100,000 Bruce D. Memorial Stakes, Grade III $100,000 Pucker Up Stakes, Grade I $1,000,000 Arlington Million and Grade I $400,000 Secretariat Stakes also highlight the turf festival.

GRADED STAKES WINNER STREAMLINE RETURNS IN FRIDAY ALLOWANCE

After a total of a dozen starts against stakes company, two-time graded stakes winner Streamline will be taking a drop in class in Friday’s fifth race at Arlington International Racecourse – into a one-mile allowance optional claiming event over the turf for fillies and mares.

Owned by Nancy Vanier and Cartwright Thoroughbreds and trained by Brian Williamson, the 6-year-old homebred daughter of Straight Line maintained top form in graded stakes against the likes of Terra Promessa, Farrell and Stellar Wind, but has finished off the board in her last four outings the most recent of which was an eighth-place finish in the Grade III Fleur De Lis Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 16. Her last victory took place in February, when she won the Grade III Bayakoa Handicap at Oaklawn Park.

The last time Streamline raced on grass was on November 20, 2015 when she won an allowance event at Hawthorne by three lengths. While it has been nearly three years since she made a start over turf, she boasts a record of three victories in six starts over the surface.

“It’s a tough bunch and it’s on the turf but she didn’t handle the heat in the last race at Churchill,” Williamson said. “We just thought we’d give her some time in between races. This race came up and she’s here and she’s been training super.”

To give an example of how highly regarded Streamline really was, Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens opted out of a trip to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in February to ride eventual Grade II Risen Star winner Bravazo so he could stay at Oaklawn Park and secure the mount on Streamline in the Bayakoa.

“(Bravazo) won in New Orleans and I felt kind of bad for Gary,” Williamson said. “But at least he won on her. She’s doing great so we’re going to give this a try. Her mother had won a couple of stakes here on the turf so that’s kind of where we started and it can’t hurt. She couldn’t be doing any better so she’s got that going for her. She looks great; she’s dappled from head to tail.”

Streamline will break from post seven at morning line odds of 4-1.

Trainer Michele Boyce will also send out a strong pair for the event in My Mertie (post one, C.H. Marquez, Jr., 6-1) and Lovely Loyree (post eight, E.T. Baird, 5-2).

Owned by Terry Biondo and Oak Rock Racing, My Mertie will be going for her third consecutive victory after two allowance triumphs over the all-weather surface. On June 16, the daughter of Magna Graduate ended a nine-race losing streak when defeating open company going 1 1/16 miles, including Daddy’s Boo – the 2-1 morning line favorite for Friday’s race. Next out, she shortened up to 6½ furlongs and beat state-breds on July 14.

Cherrywood Racing, Oak Rock Racing, Feel The Thunder and Terry Biondo’s Lovely Loyree takes a class drop following an open company stakes triumph in the Indiana General Assembly Distaff Stakes at Indiana Grand on July 14 – a race that she also won in 2016. The 7-year-old daughter of Cactus Ridge acquired black type at Tampa Bay Downs in 2016 when finishing third behind Eclipse Award winning Tepin in the Grade III Endeavor Stakes and the Grade II Hillsborough Stakes.

“It’s a tough spot,” Boyce said. “It’s a $100,000 stake for a $35,000 pot. It’s a very competitive field. I was preparing for if it were to rain and come off, then I would have Mertie. She hasn’t shown much on grass but we’re going to try her to see if she’s matured any. Lovely Loyree came out of her last race fine and it’s just a matter of how this race sets up.”

SMOKINWATCHSTOPPER GETS WIN FOR KCA STABLES AND GOOD CAUSE

The ownership group KCA Stables made their first trip to the winner’s circle on Sunday afternoon when Smokinwatchstopper was victorious in gate-to-wire fashion over the Arlington International Racecourse lawn.

Guided by jockey C.H. Marquez, Jr., the son of General Quarters led the field of six $18,000 claimers while setting slow opening fractions and held off a late charge from Miracle Mountain to win the race by a half-length for the ownership group and trainer Chris Block.

KCA – a reference to beating the disease by kicking cancer’s ‘rear-end’ – has a total of 33 partners looking for a low-cost, low-risk Thoroughbred ownership experience and is headed by Vince Lodl. A portion of their winnings are donated to the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

“We got a good spot for him and he ran his race,” Lodl said following the victory. “He’s a speed type of horse and it really is exciting just to have him out there just to be participating. With our group, we have a bunch of ham and eggers if you will. It’s fun and it’s very exciting to get this first win. Hopefully there’s more to come and the nice part is even though the purse wasn’t huge, we get to cut a check a support what we do. We donate five percent of every win to cancer research. In the future we plan to donate five percent from any foal or mare that we might sell at auction. For right now we’re just racing.

“It’s just about enjoying it, that’s all it is,” Lodl continued. “It’s a tough business and we’re just thrilled with being able to participate. We have a great trainer with Chris (Block) and it’s really exciting to participate in this sport.”