Groupie Doll field firming up

Ahh Chocolate and Brooklynsway are in, while Spelling Again is out for the signature race of the Ellis meet, the Grade 3 Groupie Doll Stakes on Aug. 6.

Trainer Neil Howard told Ellis publicity that Ahh Chocolate has trained well at Churchill since a fifth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Fleur de Lis on June 18 at Churchill. The $100,000 Groupie Doll is run at a mile out of the clubhouse chute.

“This is an opportunity to not have to ship too far away, Grade 3, which is nice,” said Howard. “The mile down there is almost like two turns. When she runs her normal race, she’s effective going a little shorter, too.”

Brooklynsway, trained by Bernie Flint, has won two stakes this year, led by the Grade 3 Doubledogdare at Keeneland in April.

Meanwhile, Brad Cox said he is pointing Spelling Again to the Grade 1 Ballerina on the Aug. 27 Travers card at Saratoga. Spelling Again likely would have been favored in the Groupie Doll off a victory in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream earlier this month.