Plenty of options for Recount, Puntsville

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Recount, who won the Addison Cammack Stakes here last Saturday, has no certain target race, nor does Puntsville, who captured the Isaac Murphy Stakes on the same card. But both horses came out of their races in good shape and have plenty of options since each handles dirt, turf, and synthetic surfaces.

Recount led early, was headed at the top of the stretch, but came back on to win the Cammack by two lengths, earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure. He won for the seventh time in 19 starts and is now 5 for 6 on Arlington’s main track.

“He tries hard, that horse,” said trainer Jim DiVito. “Even the ones he doesn’t run well, he tries. I’m not sure there’s anything for him now at Arlington. We’ll look around. He might be able to run on the grass up to a mile.”

Meanwhile, the 4-year-old filly Puntsville ended her 3-year-old season on a three-race winning streak and won her first start this year in the Isaac Murphy, putting away the heavily favored Richies Sweetheart on the lead and then holding on to win by three-quarters of a length. She earned an 88 Beyer and now has won seven of 12 starts, with victories on fast dirt, wet dirt, turf, and synthetics.

“I was convinced I could make a miler out of her last year, and that fell flat,” trainer Michele Boyce said. “I’m going to keep her sprinting for the most part. She’s become a very professional racehorse.”

◗ Jockey Jose Valdivia continues to hold a commanding lead in the Arlington jockey standings. Through last weekend’s racing, Valdivia still was getting winners at a strike rate better than 31 percent and had 34 wins to second-place Mitchell Murrill’s 20.