Stidham horses continue run of success

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Mike Stidham’s run of stakes success continued through Labor Day weekend, when the 3-year-old Pirate’s Trove remained unbeaten after three starts with her second stakes win at Woodbine, and the 2-year-old filly Her Emmynency came within a neck of capturing the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante.

Pirate’s Trove has returned to Arlington, but Her Emmynency will remain in California and could be pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Stidham said Tuesday.

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Stidham’s stable, split between Arlington and Del Mar during the period, has amassed a 5-4-0 record from 14 stakes races between July 15 and Sept. 2. At Del Mar, where Stidham ran a small string for the first time, his horses had two wins and two seconds from six stakes tries.

Her Emmynency was the most recent of the stakes runners there, finishing a close second in her second start behind the more experienced Sunset Glow in the Debutante. Her Emmynency, by Successful Appeal out of Chic Dancer, easily won her debut at Del Mar after getting up to a half-mile in morning workouts earlier this summer at Arlington.

“At Arlington, she looked like one of the most precocious 2-year-olds in the barn,” Stidham said. “She looked like she had enough speed and quality to take out there.”

Stidham has a handful of stalls at Santa Anita, where Her Emmynency will move this week. Two other horses that ran well in Del Mar stakes, the 3-year-old fillies Istanford and Stellaris, have returned to Arlington. Istanford, who won the San Clemente and Sandy Blue at Del Mar, is most likely to make her next start in the Valley View at Keeneland, though she also will be nominated to the Grade 1 First Lady there. Stellaris, a closing second in the Del Mar Oaks, worked Sunday at Arlington and is being pointed to the Sept. 13 Pucker Up here.

Meanwhile, Pirate’s Trove won the $111,800 Etobicoke at Woodbine by 4 1/2 lengths, earning a 92 Beyer Speed Figure in a performance significantly sharper than her nose victory there July 20 in the Duchess Stakes. There is yet another 3-year-old filly Polytrack stakes at Woodbine in October, but Pirate’s Trove also will be considered for the Unzip Me Stakes, a turf sprint Sept. 27 at Santa Anita.

On Monday, Stidham shipped Iowa Derby winner Jessica’s Star to Louisiana Downs, where he starts Saturday in the Super Derby. James Graham has picked up the mount on Jessica’s Star, who most recently finished second by a head in the Ohio Derby on July 19.