Dee's Rose tries to turn the tables on Dashel

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – It’s Dashel vs. Dee’s Rose, round 2, in the featured seventh race at Arlington Park on Sunday, with Dee’s Rose trying to catch a break after two unlucky experiences. The two are rematched in a third-level optional $62,500 claimer scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Dee’s Rose, trained by Dale Bennett, made her first start in six months winning a turf-sprint stakes June 9 at Indiana Downs, and ran at least as well finishing second by a nose to Dashel in an allowance here about a month later. On the backstretch of that start, Dee’s Rose checked so hard that she almost went down, and, after having every right to pack it in, she rallied strongly in the stretch, nearly getting up to win.

Her bad luck July 31 was of a less explosive variety, with Dee’s Rose rained from turf onto Polytrack, where she finished evenly running second at odds of 3-5. While Dee’s Rose seems a better horse on turf than synthetic, that last-out performance does give rise to at least mild concern, since Dee’s Rose had shown more spark on Polytrack last summer. If she bounces back to form, and avoids trouble under new rider James Graham on Sunday, she should take the measure of Dashel.

Dashel has yet to taste defeat after three turf sprints at Arlington, and she has a career record of 4 for 6 in grass sprints. Dashel has drawn the rail, which is less than ideal, but she won an open Keeneland turf-sprint allowance last fall after breaking from post 2.

Si Si Mon Amie races for the $62,500 claiming option and at her best she is not far off the top two. Si Si Mon Amie has tried two-turn turf races in her last four starts, and has run well in the past in turf sprints.

Quick Notice has been posting quick works for trainer Dave Kassen, and has tried only one turf sprint in her career. Lookalike drops in class, having finished sixth behind Informed Decision and near-giant killer Rinterval last out in the Chicago Handicap.