Talented French filly could become Bevery D. prospect

Arlington chairman Richard Duchossois recently acquired a French 4-year-old filly named Marypop, with her connections hopeful that she has enough quality to merit a start in the Grade 1 Beverly D. Stakes in August.

Marypop won a listed stakes in her 2016 debut and came back to capture the Group 3 Priz Allez France over 1 1/4 miles on April 28 at Chantilly. She’s currently in quarantine at Arlington but soon will move across the backstretch and into the barn of trainer Mike Stidham.

“We’re going to nominate to the Modesty here and hope she’s good enough to run in the Beverly D.,” said Stidham.

Stidham had a good opening week at Arlington, going 3-4-1 from 9 starters, but at Woodbine in the Hendrie Stakes on Sunday, Leigh Court finished last of seven as the 3-5 favorite.

“She obviously ran a subpar race, but so far, there’s no explanation that we can find,” Stidham said.

Leigh Court is getting about two weeks off at a farm in Kentucky – she had a similar schedule after both of her previous starts this year – and will rejoin Stidham’s string at Arlington later this month.

Stidham has contenders in Friday allowance races

There are two decent allowance races on the Friday card, and Stidham-trained horses figure prominently in both of them. Stidham has two fillies, Mi Fiore and likely favorite Rapid Rhythm, who look like prime contenders in race 6, a second-level, female-restricted, seven-furlong allowance race.

In race 7, a first-level allowance, Stidham sends out Top Mention, elevated to a debut win at Fair Grounds via disqualification in his only start. Dom the Bomb is the one to beat in this seven-furlong, main-track race.