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ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Devil by Design is not a route horse, nor is she a quick sprinter. Seven furlongs is what Devil by Design likes, and seven furlongs is what she got Sunday at Arlington Park, where the 5-year-old mare scored her first graded stakes win in the Chicago Handicap.
Now 5 for 7 in seven-furlong races, Devil by Design was deftly prepared for the Grade 3, $100,000 Chicago, her first start since Nov. 6, by trainer Bill Mott’s Churchill-based assistant, Ken McCarthy. Devil by Design posted string of fast workouts dating to late May and shipped to Chicago wearing a richly dappled dark bay coat.
“We knew we had to get her ready and we put some stiff workouts in her,” McCarthy said. “I think it paid off today.”
Corey Nakatani gave Devil by Design a perfect trip, waiting in third as favored Tidal Pool and second-choice Dr. Zic battled through fast fractions of 22.62 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.75 to the half. Nakatani angled off the fence coming off the far turn, and Devil by Design accelerated past the two leaders, holding off La Rocca to win by 1 3/4 lengths, with Tidal Pool third. The winner was timed in 1:25.54 for seven furlongs on Polytrack.
The winner, a 5-year-old Medaglia d’Oro mare, is owned by John Gunther, the Eurowest Bloodstock Services of Tanya Gunther, and Tony Chedraoui.
Home’s the Best pulled up in the stretch and vanned off the track.
Best Bets
ROCKABYEBABY shook loose on the lead before getting nailed on the wire in her April 22 return from a hiatus, from which victorious Blues Music exited to double up going long in NW3 company (61 Beyer). In a field with little other obvious speed, she should take some catching with Kabel back in the saddle. SWIMSWIMSWIM was along for second in her season debut, which was won by a rival who ran second as the heavy favorite in a subsequent $5K NW3 tilt at Fort Erie. MARIANNA, who toppled $16K maidens after coming wide from mid-pack May 9, is a good fit Beyer-wise.
