COACHWHIP SWITCHES TO SYNTHETIC IN SEARCH OF FIRST GRADED STAKES VICTORY IN THE GIII ARLINGTON MATRON

By Grant LaGrange —-

The 82nd running of the GIII Arlington Matron will be run at Arlington International Racecourse on Saturday June 1. With the anticipated scratch of Patrick Gallagher’s La Force; a field of now nine fillies and mares will run 1 1/8th- miles on the Arlington synthetic main track.

Coachwhip will be sent to post by trainer Jack Sisterson for Calumet farm and will be looking for her first Graded Stakes victory from three tries so far in her fourteen race career.

She is exiting the GIII Bewitch Stakes going 1 ½ – miles on the turf course at Keeneland where she ran an honest third,

“We think she ran a great race” Sisterson said Friday morning. “Tyler [Baze] got to know her in that race, he got her to relax and she was finishing up okay” he explained. “Her gallop out was good as well, it wasn’t exactly what we were looking for but we were happy with her performance” said Sisterson

Coachwhip will also be shortening up for her run in the GIII Matron, cutting back from 1 ½- miles to 1 1/8- miles.

“1 1/8th will be great for her. She’s an honest filly and always gives us her best shot when she runs. She has shown us she can go 1 1/2 –miles and I think 1 1/16th is her best distance, so the 1 1/8th-miles should fit her perfectly” explained Sisterson.

After making her first fourteen career starts on the grass, she will also be trying the synthetic surface for the first time in her career,

“Synthetic won’t be an issue; we think she’ll handle it fine” said Sisterson. “She started her career at Golden Gate and was training over that synthetic surface five or six days a week, so she’s been over it before. We think she will handle it and won’t be using it as an excuse if she doesn’t end up running well” he said.

Coachwhip will be ridden by Tyler Baze and will break from post 6

Also in the field will be Larry Rivelli’s Daddy’s Boo who finished second in this race last year.

After her second place finish last year she faced Allowance company for the rest of her 2018 season, but was never able to hit the wire first. She returned to the races on May 17 at Arlington winning an Allowance Optional Claiming race going 1 1/16th- miles on the main track. Daddy’s Boo is owned by Patricia’s Hope Llc and this will be her second start as a now eight-year-old mare. She will be ridden by Christopher Emigh and will break from post 8.

Rounding out the field will be Mo’s M V P (Joel Campbell, post 1), Snuck Out (Sophie Doyle, post 2), Strawberry Tequila (Julie Burke, post 4), Na Pali Spirit (Mitchell Murrill, post 5), Oh So Terrible (Julio Felix, post 7), Youngest Daughter (Ty Kennedy, post 9), and Tough Irma (Santa Sajur, post 10).

The GIII Arlington Matron is carded as the eighth race on Saturday June 1, and is due off at 5:15 PM CST.