Coachwhip lands first stakes in Arlington Matron

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Coachwhip’s first start over a synthetic racing surface produced the first stakes win of her career when the 5-year-old mare captured the Grade 3, $100,000 Arlington Matron by 3 1/2 lengths on Saturday.

Tyler Baze, riding for Brad Kelley’s Calumet Farm and trainer Jack Sisterson, kept Coachwhip poised in second as Jose Valdivia Jr. backed up the pace on front-running Daddy’s Boo, who went a half-mile in an easy 49.18 seconds but quickly was overwhelmed when Coachwhip came calling at the top of the stretch. Coachwhip pulled steadily clear through the final three-sixteenths of a mile and cruised past the finish an easy winner, stopping the timer in 1:51.80 for 1 1/8 miles over Polytrack and paying $5.80 as the narrow favorite over Daddy’s Boo. Strawberry Tequila rallied from last of six at the quarter-pole to finish second, three-quarters of a length in front of Na Pali Spirit as Daddy’s Boo faded to sixth. La Force, Mo’s M V P, Oh So Terrible, and Youngest Daughter were scratched.

Five-year-old Coachwhip, a Calumet homebred, has an unusual pedigree by American standards as a daughter of So You Think and the Linamix mare Restless Rixa. So You Think was bred in New Zealand and began his career there before being imported to Ireland and finding top-level success for trainer Aidan O’Brien, and few of his offspring race in North America. Coachwhip’s female family is strictly French, and Coachwhip herself began her career winning a pair of Golden Gate Fields races in 2017. She came under Sisterson’s care last year, ran into some formidable opposition over the winter at Fair Grounds and this spring at Keeneland, and found the right spot to become a stakes winner Saturday in the Chicago suburbs.

► Uncle Chad went wire to wire winning the $62,500 Grays Lake Stakes for Iowa-bred 3-year-old colts and geldings Saturday at Prairie Meadows. Walter de la Cruz rode the winner, a son of Majestic Warrior and the Yonaguska mare Stephangjess, for owner-breeder Warren Bush and trainer Doug Anderson. Uncle Chad ran six furlongs on a fast dirt track in 1:11.52 and paid $14.60. Knight Commander was second by two lengths, 3-10 favorite Kauai third.