Stephanie's Kitten tries to take control of division in Beverly D.
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ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Here it is, mid-August, and there still isn’t much definition among filly-and-mare turf specialists. Hopefully, what transpires Saturday in the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington Park will give greater meaning to what has been a rather unsettled division of American racing.
Chad Brown would like to have a say in all that. Ahead of his Saturday morning arrival, the 35-year-old trainer has sent the two morning-line favorites for the $750,000 Beverly D. here from Saratoga. Understandably, Brown will take what he can get, as Stephanie’s Kitten (7-2, Frankie Dettori) and Alterite (4-1, Javier Castellano) both bring outstanding credentials to this 1 3/16-mile race.
“Both deserve a shot, and both are capable,” said Brown, who won the Beverly D. three years ago with Stacelita. “As far as how the race shapes up, I’ll leave that up to the jocks, but hopefully both can save some ground and get good trips.”
A terrific and well-balanced field of 11 is entered in the Beverly D., a Win and You’re In event toward the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita. With the presence of the speedy local mare La Tia seeming to assure a solid tempo, the race figures to unfold with Somali Lemonade among those in closest pursuit – but what happens behind them, then down the stretch, is anyone’s guess.
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One of the handful of fringe contenders is Tannery (post 6, Robby Albarado), another New York-based filly whose hot-and-cold record ranges from a win in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor Stakes to a last-place finish in the Diana Stakes at Saratoga last month.
“She’s a better filly than that,” trainer Alan Goldberg said in reference to the Diana. “She’s been training great all year, and I think she belongs with good horses.”
Three European horses are in the field, including Euro Charline (post 2, Ryan Moore), a Team Valor International filly trying to become the first 3-year-old to win this race. Moore won the Beverly D. last year aboard Dank.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Euro Charline. Trainer Marco Botti is 4 for 11 with a $5.22 ROI over the past five years in North American route races.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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The Beverly D., named for the late wife of Arlington chairman Richard Duchossois, directly precedes the Arlington Million as the ninth of 12 races, with post time set for 4:54 p.m. Central. The race has produced five Eclipse Award winners from its 24 prior runnings, the latest being Dank in 2013.
Key contenders
Stephanie’s Kitten (Last 3 Beyers: 96-93-87)
* Her stellar career might have seemed on the other side of midnight, but after taking late interest in the Just a Game Stakes on Belmont Day, then closing hard to be second in the Diana, she might well be ready to win again.
“She’s rounded back to form,” said Brown. “We had a couple little things go wrong with her earlier this year, but she’s very good right now.”
Alterite (Last 3 Beyers: 90-102-94)
* She faded to eighth when making her first start in eight-plus months in the Diana, but Brown is not discouraged in the least.
“Not only did she need the race because of the layoff, but the entire setup was the wrong one for her,” said Brown. “I’d expect something different this time around, especially now that we’ve got a race in her.”
Emollient (Last 3 Beyers: 85-97-95)
* Suddenly hard to read, this Juddmonte Farms homebred nonetheless is capable of really good things, such as her two Grade 1 wins at Keeneland and her gritty two-back effort in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes. Her Hall of Fame trainer, Bill Mott, is a two-time winner of the Beverly D. with Snow Polina (2000) and Dynaforce (2009).
Somali Lemonade (Last 3 Beyers: 97-95-96)
* Michael Matz is as pleasantly surprised as anyone at how this 5-year-old mare has transformed herself from a left-field closer to a grinding front-runner. Now he hopes Luis Saez can work out a nice trip from the far-outside post.
“Luis has done a great job riding her, and it’s a long enough run to the first turn that hopefully we’ll be okay,” said Matz.
Just The Judge (First start in North America)
* Perhaps the best of the Euros, this Irish-bred comes favorably drawn to the hedge after finishing a creditable third in a Group 1 in her last start.
* Remarkably, 11 of the last 12 Beverly D. winners have been bred outside of America.