Mister Marti Gras lands in softer spot

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – It’s time for Mister Marti Gras to get his picture taken again.

The venerable 8-year-old millionaire Mister Marti Gras has continued holding graded-stakes-class form at an age when many horses have been put out to pasture. His recent form – a decent fifth in the 12-furlong Stars and Stripes on turf and a second the next weekend in the Hanshin Cup, a one-turn Polytrack mile – says all one needs to know about Mister Marti Gras’s versatility and durability.

One thing, though: It has been a long time between actual wins for Mister Marti Gras. Winless from four starts this year, he went just 1 for 8 last year, but trainer Chris Block and owner Bob Lothenbach have Mister Marti Gras in a spot, Sunday’s third race at Arlington, where he absolutely can win.

Mister Marti Gras is one of six entrants in a high-level allowance race also open to $62,500 claimers and carded for 1 1/8 miles on Polytrack. Mister Marti Gras handles the surface, gets the distance, and on paper at least, it will be difficult to deny him the 11th win of his long career.

The main danger is Valiant City, who won his most recent start around two turns over Arlington’s Polytrack but is unproven at distances beyond 1 1/16 miles and looks more like a miler than a horse asking for more ground.

Greengrassofwyoming has the inherent quality to factor and is 1 for 1 at nine furlongs but hasn’t raced since February and is likely to need this comeback run for fitness.

Lashad’s form was better in the spring than it has been this summer, while the very decent Street Spice has never come close to showing his best on Polytrack.

That leaves Treasury Bill, who should do his best running late and might offer a touch of value in the exacta with Mister Marti Gras.

Beverly D. DQ under appeal

The connections of disqualified Beverly D. Stakes winner Secret Gesture have lodged a formal appeal of that disqualification with the Illinois Racing Board, an IRB official confirmed Friday.

The official wasn’t certain if a hearing date on the matter had yet been set.

England-based Secret Gesture won the Beverly D. by 1 1/4 lengths with Jamie Spencer riding for trainer Ralph Beckett. She was demoted to third for interfering with Stephanie’s Kitten, whose jockey took up sharply as Watsdachances passed her just before the wire for second.