Upset chances look slim

CHICAGO - If the Prairie State Festival, Arlington Park's six-stakes day for Illinois-breds, came in late summer rather than June 24, Bluesbdancing probably would find herself racing June 17 in the Grade 3, $175,000 Chicago Breeders' Cup Handicap, a seven-furlong sprint. But statebred-restricted stakes usually are too good to pass up, which is why Bluesbdancing finds herself in the featured eighth race on Friday at Arlington, an overnight stakes prep for the Illinois-bred Isaac Murphy Handicap.

Dubbed the Your Ladyship, Friday's feature is for Illinois-bred female sprinters at seven furlongs and drew a field of eight, clearly headed by . A winner in 7 of her 10 starts and the best Illinois-bred female sprinter going, Bluesbdancing comes off a comfortable win April 29 at Hawthorne in the Governor's Lady Handicap. Trainer Terrel Gore said he would indeed have targeted the Chicago BC had not the Isaac Murphy come around at about the same time.

"I'd probably have given her a shot," Gore said.

All seven of Bluesbdancing's wins have come at six furlongs, and she lost her only start at seven furlongs, but Friday's distance isn't going to trip up Bluesbdancing, whose 47-second half-mile breeze Monday was second-fastest of 36 works at the distance. She has plenty of speed, but she also has an off switch. Jockey Eddie Razo has ridden the 4-year-old filly in her last five races, and seems to push the right buttons.

Razo's job is made easier in a race like this, since no one should touch Bluesbdancing if she gets a clean trip, no sure thing from post 2. If there is to be an upset, either Piano Tunner or Modjadji look like the prime candidates to engineer it.

two starts this season both came at Hawthorne, and both came from post 1. Friday, she gets off the rail and gets back to Arlington, where she rarely misses a top-three finish.

has missed the exacta only once in her 11 starts, and could well appreciate the move from Hawthorne to Arlington, where she has won 2 of 3 starts. Moreover, the way Arlington's track has recently played, with outside paths superior to the rail, Modjadji could get a better run in than Bluesbdancing.

To win, however, Modjadji may need even more luck than that.