With horses invading from at least four countries as well as various parts of the United States for the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) Aug. 18, it is somewhat ironic that Glen Hill Farm's 3-1 morning line favorite Marketing Mix has been based on the Arlington Park backstretch much of the summer.
The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro is trained by Tom Proctor but has yet to make a start this season over the local turf course. A 4-year-old filly who won last year's Pucker Up Stakes (gr. IIIT) in Chicagoland last summer, she captured the Nassau Stakes (gr. IIT) and the Dance Smartly Stakes (gr. IIT) at Woodbine in her last two starts. Julien Leparoux, who won the 2006 edition of the 1 3/16-mile turf test with French-bred Gorella, has the mount from post eight.
The Beverly D., which provides the winner an automatic starting position in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) as part of the "Win and You're In" Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, is one of three grade I stakes races on the 10-race card that comprises Arlington's International Festival of Racing. It will be run with an approximate post time of 5:02 p.m. CDT and has drawn a field of 10.
A close 7-2 second choice in the early odds is Flaxman Holding's Aruna. The Graham Motion-trained daughter of Mr. Greeley finished second to fellow Beverly D. contestant Mystical Star in the New York Stakes (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park in June but beat that rival when taking the Sheepshead Bay (gr. IIT) there the previous month. The multiple graded-stakes winning 4-year-old will team again with her regular rider Ramon Dominguez for the Beverly D.
British-bred Joviality, who races for the 2010 Arlington Million-winning team of H. R. H. Princess Haya of Jordan, trainer John Gosden, and jockey William Buick, is highly regarded among the foreign contingent set for the Beverly D. Though a disappointing 10th in her last start, the group I Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket, she had been faring better earlier this season with a victory in the Windsor Forest Stakes (Eng-II) during the Royal Ascot meeting and a runner-up finish in the Princess Elizabeth Stakes (Eng-III) prior to that.
Andrew Stone's Irish-bred I'm A Dreamer invades from Europe off a third-place finish in the Pretty Polly Stakes (Ire-I) at The Curragh. Before that, the David Simcock-trained daughter of Noverre ran fourth in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes (Eng-III) at England's Sandown Park and third in the Middleton Stakes (Eng-II) at York. Hayley Turner picks up the mount on the 5-year-old mare for the Beverly D.
Mystical Star, the Cheyenne Stables colorbearer who beat Aruna last time out, would give trainer Christophe Clement his fourth victory in the Beverly D. The French-born conditioner saddled previous winners England's Legend (2000), Royal Highness (2007) and Mauralakana (2008). Jose Lezcano has been named to ride the 4-year-old Ghostzapper filly.
Frank Calabrese's Romacaca, winner of the Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT) here on Million Preview Day July 14, would be the first horse to win the Modesty and the Beverly D. in the same year should she score a victory Saturday. The Danny Miller-trained daughter of Running Stag will have Arlington Park's leading jockey, Francisco Torres, in the irons.
The two other foreign-based distaffers entered for the Beverly D. are Gestut Karlshof's German-bred Kapitale, who is making her 2012 debut under Mirco Demuro; and Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, and Michael Tabor's Up under Colm O'Donoghue, group stakes placed three times in 2012 including a third last out in the Kilboy Estate Stakes (IRE-III) at The Curragh.
Also representing North America are The Granger House Partnership's Stars to Shine, who won the Ontario Matron (Can-III) for Woodbine-based trainer Mark Frostad, and Stone Farm's Upperline, the Mike Stidham-trained winner of the Arlington Matron (gr. III) on Polytrack in May who was third in the Modesty in her last trip to the post.
$750,000 Beverly D. (gr. IT, Race 10, approximate post 5:02 p.m. CDT), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 3/16 Miles (Turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds
1. Kapitale (GER), M. Demuro, A Wohler, 12-1
2. I'm A Dreamer (IRE), H. Turner, D Simcock, 8-1
3. Romacaca (FL), F.C. Torres, D Miller, 15-1
4. Upperline (KY), J. Graham, M Stidham, 20-1
5. Mystical Star (KY), J. Lezcano, C Clement, 6-1
6. Up (IRE), C. O'Donoghue, A P O'Brien, 8-1
7. Aruna (KY), R.A. Dominguez, H G Motion, 7-2
8. Marketing Mix (ON), J.R. Leparoux, T F Proctor, 3-1
9. Stars to Shine (KY), A.O. Solis, M R Frostad, 15-1
10. Joviality (GB), W.T. Buick, J H M Gosden, 9-2