Eight fillies and mares will take to the Arlington Park turf July 13 for the $200,000 Modesty Handicap (gr. III). Graded stakes winners and maiden winners alike will contest the 1 3/16-mile turf race.
Among the more accomplished starters will be Skara Glen Stables, W. S. Farish and George Prussin's Colonial Flag, Andrew Stone's Strathnaver, and Hernandez Racing Club's La Tia.
The 57th edition of the Modesty is the eighth race on Saturday's 12-race card and has an approximate post time of 4:25 p.m. CDT.
A 4-year-old daughter of Pleasant Tap, Colonial Flag will be making her second start of the season after finishing third in the Early Times Mint Julep Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs last month. Last year, the Michael Matz trainee won the Ontario Colleen Stakes (Can-IIIT) over the Woodbine turf and was graded stakes-placed in the Regret Stakes (gr. IIIT) and Mrs. Revere Stakes (gr. IIT) on the Churchill lawn.
Bred in Great Britain, Andrew Stone's Strathnaver has won two of her three starts with trainer Graham Motion since arriving in the U.S. for her 4-year-old season. In her North American debut, the Oasis Dream filly won a Gulfstream Park turf allowance race over the Modesty distance and followed with a score in the Bewitch Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland at 1 1/2 miles. Last time out, the bay filly was a disappointing seventh in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park.
Local favorite La Tia brings a 2-for-2 record this season into the Modesty. The Illinois-bred daughter of City Place posted victories in an open company allowance race in her seasonal bow followed by a score in the restricted Lincoln Heritage Handicap. A four-time winner in six starts last year at 3, La Tia won both the Arlington Oaks (gr. III) and Woodbine's $150,000 La Lorgnette Stakes over their Polytrack surfaces.
Susan S. Cooney's Embarr invades from Colonial Downs after a fourth-place finish in the Edward P. Evans All Along Stakes (gr. IIIT). Racing as a homebred for her trainer, the daughter of Royal Academy won the Dahlia Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in her 2013 debut in April. A winner of multiple restricted stakes, Virginia's 2012 champion older mare (tied with North Freeway) placed in the Athenia Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Belmont Park in October.
Completing the Modesty field are: Lally Stable's Dame Marie, winner of a Churchill Downs allowance race two starts back; Shadwell Stable's Ausus, a close fourth in the Arlington Matron Stakes (gr. III) in May; Ken & Sarah Ramsey's Artemus Kitten, third-place finisher in the Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland in April and third last out in a $100,000 stakes at Indiana Downs; and Glockenburg LLC's Madam Nancy, a maiden winner at Arlington Park in May.
The Modesty serves as the final local prep for the $750,000 Beverly D. (gr. I), which will be run Aug. 17 as one of four major stakes that comprise the Arlington's Million day program. As an added bonus, the top three finishers in the Modesty will have their entry and starting fees waived for the Beverly D., should they elect to run.
$200,000 Modesty Handicap (gr. III, Race 8, approximate post time 4:25 p.m. CDT), for fillies & mares, 3YOs & Up, 1 3/16 miles (turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML odds
1. Embarr (VA), K J Desormeaux, 117, S S Cooney, 10/1
2. Dame Marie (KY), R Napravnik, 115, E Kenneally, 8/1
3. Ausus (KY), J Graham, 116, D C Peitz, 9/2
4. La Tia (IL), C Roman, 118, A De la cerda, 4/1
5. Strathnaver (GB), E Castro, 117, H G Motion, 3/1
6. Artemus Kitten (KY), J R Leparoux, 116, M J Maker, 8/1
7. Madam Nancy (KY), S Vasyutov, 111, P Vashchenko, 30/1
8. Colonial Flag (KY), J Rocco, Jr., 119, M R Matz, 5/2