Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Friday, June 9

By Bailey Gallison —-

• Juvenile Fillies Set to Debut Sunday
• Illinois Mares Could Meet Up Again in Mike Spellman Memorial

JUVENILE FILLIES SET TO DEBUT SUNDAY

The fourth race on Sunday, June 11 looks to be a wide-open race with little on paper to draw from. The 4½-furlong event over the main track at Arlington International Racecourse drew entries from seven 2-year-old fillies, six of which have never started in a race. Larry Rivelli has two in the field including Surf Ride, the lone filly with a run under her belt. The daughter of Scat Daddy debuted at Prairie Meadows on June 1 as the even-money betting favorite, but delivered a very green run as she dropped back and bore out that day under her rider. Out of the Grade III-placed mare Perennial Song, Surf Ride will look to improve in her second start with a jockey switch to recent arrival Blake Shinn. Leading rider Jose Valdivia, Jr. will take the mount on Joe Sterrenberg and Mario Donoto’s Her Wild Lifestyle. The Rivelli trainee turned in a very nice work on May 15, covering three furlongs on the Polytrack in 36.80 seconds, and has two more works since at four furlongs in preparation for her first start.

Trainer Leo Rodriguez also has two entered, including Sounds Like Music, a daughter of Artie Schiller out of the stakes-placed mare Music Way. Sounds Like Music has worked steadily in preparation for her first start, turning in a four-furlong breeze from the gate in 48 seconds flat on May 21 followed by a quicker 47 seconds when breaking from the four-furlong pole on May 28. Rodriguez also sends out Real De Jalpa for owner Steven Martinez. The Florida-bred filly turned in a sharp three-furlong work on May 14 in 36.60 seconds, and has put in two more works at four furlongs over the main track at Arlington since.

Breaking from the rail will be Eoin Harty trainee World Is My City. This daughter of City Zip worked a bullet three furlongs in 36.40 seconds on May 6 at Arlington, with two gate works in the last month to prepare for her debut. She is out of Flor de Oro, who is a half-sister to multiple graded-stakes winner Cozi Rosie (by Pleasantly Perfect) as well as stakes winners Lexicon and My Captain, both by Conquistador Cielo. Starting to her outside for trainer James Childers will be Lois McCrosky’s Romantic Attack, a daughter of the Devil’s Bag mare Romantic Reason that is from the same family as graded-stakes winner and producer Masseuse.

Cowgirl Callie, from the barn of Leroy Hellman, put in a solid bullet work on May 19 at Arlington, covering three furlongs in a best-of-the-morning 36.80 seconds. Robert and Lynda Esposito’s homebred came back 12 days later to work four furlongs from the gate on May 31, which she did in 49 seconds flat. The Illinois-bred showed improvement from her last gate work on May 11, when she covered three furlongs in 38.80 seconds.

ILLINOIS MARES COULD MEET UP AGAIN IN MIKE SPELLMAN MEMORIAL

Arapaho LLC’s Stormin Elle, winner of the 2016 Mike Spellman Memorial Handicap at Arlington International Racecourse, will try to defend her title against a salty group of Illinois-bred fillies and mares that is likely to include 2016 runner-up Lovely Loyree and Grade III-winner Prado’s Sweet Ride. Wayne Catalano trainee Stormin Elle made her first start in six-months when running on the main track May 20 in a 1 1/16-miles race taken off the turf at Arlington. The 7-year-old mare had a similarly light schedule last year when coming into the Mike Spellman Memorial after more than 18 months between races – she started just twice, finishing off the board both times in grass routes, before landing her stakes win.

Michele Boyce-trained Lovely Loyree, owned in partnership with Feel The Thunder Stable, Oak Rock Racing, et al., has not raced since winning the Indiana General Assembly Distaff last July at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino. Third in a pair of graded stakes last spring at Tampa Bay Downs behind Eclipse Champion Turf Mare Tepin, the 6-year-old has been working steadily to her 2017 debut and breezed June 3 over the turf at Arlington to Boyce’s satisfaction.

“It’s ambitious, but we need to get a prep race in her somewhere,” said Boyce. “We’ll aim for the Indiana General Assembly Distaff again.”

Darrell and Sadie Brommer’s homebred Prado’s Sweet Ride, winner of the New Orleans Ladies Overnight Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for late trainer Richie Scherer, also drilled over the turf last week at Arlington. The 2015 Grade III Regret Stakes winner at Churchill Downs is now in the barn of Chris Block and will look to improve on her fifth in the 2016 edition of the Mike Spellman Memorial.