Indescribable improves on Poly

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Tessa Blue, the potential favorite in the Arlington Matron on Monday, has made two starts on Polytrack, and her synthetic-surface form is hard to read. Same, too, with Leah's Secret and Lady Carlock, who has made all but one of her starts on turf.

Synthetic-surface racing, however, is what Indescribable is all about. A maiden just five races ago, Indescribable won two straight races after moving back to all-weather surfaces, and comes into the Matron off an encouraging third-place finish over Keeneland's Polytrack in the April 18 Doubledogdare Stakes.

"Having watched her breeze at Fair Hill on the Tapeta, I was impressed," said trainer Graham Motion, who is based at the training center in Elkton, Md. "Was I surprised she turned around on the synthetic track? No."

A 4-year-old Pleasant Tap filly, Indescribable seems poised to win her first stakes in the Matron, a Grade 3 worth $150,000 and contested over 1 1/8 miles. To do so, she will have to beat seven rivals in a race that came up solid for the class level.

Tessa Blue, who recorded two smashing dirt victories last fall, was second to the sharp Golden Velvet last out in the Sixty Sails at Hawthorne, a decent enough effort, but one that emphasized the idea that Tessa Blue is more comfortable in races at 1 1/16 miles than those at nine furlongs. She may be the pacesetter Monday.

The Todd Pletcher-trained Leah's Secret is coupled with the Bill Mott-trained Ballado's Thunder. Leah's Secret finished second to Ginger Punch last out in the Louisville Stakes, but has an even stronger distance question to answer than Tessa Blue.

Lady Carlock definitely can get the nine furlongs, but she must transfer her turf form to Polytrack to contend. She never looked happy racing over wet turf last out in the Distaff Turf Mile, but impressed in a Keeneland allowance in her previous start.

Indescribable gave futile chase to pacesetting Carriage Trail in the Doubledogdare.

"The Keeneland race was odd," Motion said. "It got warm that day, and it was hard to make up ground on the Polytrack."

There might be nothing stopping Indescribable this time.