STATE-BREDS TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT IN ADDISON CAMMACK, ISAAC MURPHY HANDICAPS

By Bailey Gallison —-

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (May 31, 2018) – Illinois-bred stakes will be featured the first three Saturdays in June at Arlington International Racecourse, beginning this weekend with the $75,000 Addison Cammack Memorial Handicap and the $75,000 Isaac Murphy Handicap on June 2.

The Addison Cammack Memorial Handicap is a six-furlong event contested over Arlington’s Polytrack which drew a highly competitive field of six runners. Kicking off the 20-cent Jackpot Pick 6 in the fifth race, Doubledown Stables’ Recount will try for a record third win in this race. Trained by Jimmy DiVito, the 6-year-old son of Limehouse won the 2015-16 editions in addition to seven other stakes, including the Grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity and the 2016 Bet On Sunshine Stakes at Churchill Downs against open company last November. He will break from post two under jockey Alex Canchari.

“He tries hard all the time,” DiVito said. “Alex does well on the horse and I like the idea that he’s come up to ride.”

Other salty competitors include the likes of William Stiritz’s Goneghost (post three, Chris Emigh) who was second for trainer Scott Becker in the Grade III Hanshin Cup last time out. Prior to that effort the 5-year-old son of Cherokee Rap won a trio of stakes events at Hawthorne for Illinois-breds – the Buck’s Boy Handicap on November 4, the Lightning Jet Handicap on November 25 and the Milwaukee Avenue Handicap on April 28.

S. D. Brilie’s Devileye (post six, Carlos Marquez, Jr.) has only lost twice in his eight-race career – both instances came last November when he was runner-up to Goneghost. Trained by Michele Boyce, the 4-year-old son of Indygo Shiner is a spotless 4-for-4 over Arlington’s all-weather surface, which include a stakes win in the Arlington Heights Stakes last September. Devileye took things up a notch last out when he defeated open company for the first time coming off a five-and-a-half-month layoff.

Rounding out the field are D’Rapper (post one, Jose Valdivia, Jr.), Spectacular Road (post four, Jose Lopez) and Purely Given (post five, Mitchell Murrill).

Two races later nine Illinois-bred fillies and mares line up for the Isaac Murphy Handicap, also contested at six furlongs over the Polytrack. S. D. Brilie’s multiple stakes winner Puntsville will be making her first start since finishing a neck behind Shar Ran in the Powerless Handicap at Hawthorne last November for trainer Michele Boyce. Carlos Marquez, Jr., who was aboard for her maiden victory at Arlington in 2014, will ride from post six.

“Puntsville is going to try and do her thing again, even as she’s getting a little age on her,” Boyce said. “[She has] trained well up to this race.”

The 6-year-old daughter of Cashel Castle won the 2016 edition of the Isaac Murphy Handicap, defeating a few of her fellow 2018 entrants, including William Stiritz’s Scott Becker trainee Dandy Gal (post eight, Chris Emigh) and JB Stables Steve Manley-trained Church Road (post four, Jose Valdivia, Jr.). Last year Puntsville was runner-up in the Isaac Murphy Handicap, while Church Road and Dandy Gal finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Dandy Gal will look to run back to her most recent victory in the Third Chance Handicap at Hawthorne on April 28

My Darling Sofia (post one, Julio Felix), Go Lady Jay (post two, Edgar Perez), Countess St Michel (post three, Olaf Hernandez), Game Time Decision (post five, Santo Sanjur), Dr Winn Kyi (post seven, Jose Lopez) and Delicate Lady (post nine, Mitchell Murrill) complete the field.

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.