Angelcents back in action in Arlington-Washington Lassie

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The waiting, perhaps, has been the hardest part.

Angelcents debuted at odds of 1-2 back on June 23 at Arlington and made those low odds stand up, drawing off to a 5 3/4-length victory. Larry Rivelli, who trains Angelcents for Vince Foglia’s Patricia’s Hope LLC, has kept the filly right at his Arlington base awaiting Saturday’s $75,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie, where Angelcents will be a short price again to run her record to two wins from two starts.

Angelcents, by Goldencents, was a $250,000 auction purchase who showed better speed than gate habits in her career debut, in the end evincing clear talent when geared-down the final furlong to win as she pleased. The race’s runner-up, Fair Maiden, came back to win an Arlington maiden race with a 90 Beyer Speed Figure and the Catch A Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine with a 92. Flattery, indeed.

Jose Valdivia Jr. rides Angelcents on Saturday and spoke glowingly of her the week of the Aug. 13 Arlington Million when chatting up late-summer rides of note. Angelcents is listed at odds of 8-5 on the track’s morning line but is certain to be an odds-on favorite come post time.

The race’s other key player is Mom’s Red Lipstick, and if Angelcents gets tripped up by the Lassie’s seven-furlong distance, this is the filly likely to be running at her late. Trained by Chris Block, Mom’s Red Lipstick debuted July 13 at Arlington and rallied from well back to win a five-furlong Polytrack maiden race by more than four lengths. The Lothenbach Stables homebred raced without Lasix in her debut but will be on the anti-bleeder medication Saturday.

Peruvian Boy returns from Spa

Peruvian Boy endured a wide trip and finished a respectable fourth last out in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special, and between that performance and an encouraging Arlington maiden win July 13 he could be favored Saturday in the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity.

Peruvian Boy is one of nine in the seven-furlong Polytrack race in which competition appears to run deeper than in the Arlington-Washington Lassie. The Futurity goes as race 8 (post time 5:11 Central), one race after the Lassie.

Trained by Ignacio Correas, Peruvian Boy was up by a nose over the highly regarded King Snake (who flopped in a subsequent two-turn dirt try) in his second-start maiden win going five furlongs. First out he was beaten by Vincent William, who failed to transfer his Polytrack form to turf at Colonial Downs but stands a chance to rebound back at Arlington on Saturday.

January Won also stands a chance. Trainer Ken McPeek doesn’t push horses to win first out but January Won scored a debut victory at Saratoga, where he ran in a maiden race restricted to horses with a capped sales price. January Won, by New Year’s Day, rated behind horses and split rivals to win going away, though whether his dirt form transfers to a synthetic surface – as Peruvian Boy’s already has – remains to be seen.