Stidham's weekend: ship, win, repeat

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – From Toronto to Cleveland to Chicago to San Diego it was weekend to remember for Arlington-based trainer Mike Stidham.

There were near misses in stakes Saturday at ThistleDown near Cleveland, where Jessica’s Star finished second by a head in the $300,000 Ohio Derby, and at Arlington, where Stellaris rallied to be beaten just three-quarters of a length in the $150,000 Arlington Oaks. But on Sunday at Woodbine in Toronto, Pirate’s Trove held on to win the $125,000 Duchess by a nose, and on Saturday at Del Mar, Istanford scored a convincing 2 1/2-length victory in the $200,000 San Clemente Stakes.

Istanford received a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure for her front-running victory in the San Clemente, a one-mile turf race. She set a solid pace, going her opening half-mile in 46.57 seconds, but never was threatened. Istanford won the Arlington Classic over males on May 24 but had faded to seventh June 14 in the Regret Stakes at Churchill. The short-cut, fast-playing Southern California-style course at Del Mar appeared to bring out her best.

“We weren’t positive that she was going to love that real firm turf, but we thought she might like it,” Stidham said.

Istanford came out of her win in good shape, Stidham said, and is a candidate for the $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 16, a 1 1/8-mile grass race.

The widespread weekend stakes success comes amidst a strong Arlington meet for Stidham, who through Sunday had gone 23-15-10 in 83 starts at Arlington, putting him second only to Larry Rivelli’s 34 wins. Two summers ago, Stidham sent a summer string to Delaware Park, but this is his first stab at Del Mar, where he was allotted 12 stalls for the meet.

“Just trying to step out of the box a little bit,” Stidham said of his decision to stable at Del Mar. “Obviously the big purses are appealing, plus there’s the 33 percent bonus they give to horses shipping in. Having purse cuts at [Arlington] this summer doesn’t help you much.”

After four racing days at Del Mar, Stidham’s stable there already has decreased by one-third. The four horses he ran in claiming races – Adellusion, Fighter Squadron, Sapphire Breeze, and Pioneer Charlie – all were claimed.

“There’s a chance we could send a few more out there at some point,” Stidham said.

One candidate to ship from Arlington is Stellaris, who ran well to finish second behind heavily favored Aurelia’s Belle in the Arlington Oaks. Stidham said he’s eager to try Stellaris, who has raced only on dirt and synthetic, on turf.

Turf racing – sprints, in particular – also could be in the cards for Pirate’s Trove, who ran her record to 2 for 2 with a nose victory in the seven-furlong Duchess at Woodbine. Three-year-old Pirate’s Trove won her debut on May 31 at Arlington by more than 12 lengths, and subsequently was purchased by Qatar-based Al Shahania Racing from owner Gary Bisantz. Pirate’s Trove, by Speightstown, was all out to hold on over Cactus Kris on Sunday, but had not started in almost seven weeks and might have been racing farther than her best.

Jessica’s Star continued his run of solid performances just missing in the Ohio Derby. A gelding by Magna Graduate, Jessica’s Star has 4 wins and 3 seconds from 7 starts, and his runner-up finish Saturday came after a victory in the Iowa Derby. Jessica’s Star had stalked the pace and rallied in the stretch winning that race and his previous start, the Prairie Mile, but pressed fast fractions Saturday and was nipped on the wire by late-running East Hall.

Stidham said Jessica’s Star has been a difficult horse to figure. He flashed serious speed in a 5 1/2-furlong debut last winter at Fair Grounds, something Stidham never saw coming.

“In the morning, he’s a big, leggy, lumbering-type horse who doesn’t give you any indication he could do that,” Stidham said.

Jessica’s Star seems to have found his rhythm in dirt routes, and there are plenty of lucrative 3-year-old stakes races – like the Pennsylvania Derby, the Super Derby, and the Oklahoma Derby – still on this year’s calendar.

“He’s a very nice horse, but he’s obviously a cut below the best 3-year-olds,” Stidham said. “We’ll just look for the softer spots anywhere in the country.”

◗ The highest-class fare on a nine-race Thursday card at Arlington comes in race 7, a first-level filly-and-mare Polytrack sprint allowance race.