From the Countdown to the Breeders’ Cup World Championships Newsletter
The International Festival of Racing at Arlington Park, outside of Chicago, holds the Beverly D. (gr. IT) as a guaranteed berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) later this fall at Santa Anita.
The Beverly D. is rife with contenders who are hard to separate on paper. The American-based runners are led by Glen Hill Farm’s Marketing Mix, who has won 7-for-13 in her career for trainer Tom Proctor. The 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro won the grade III Pucker Up at Arlington last year and is 3-for-4 this year, including grade II wins in Woodbine’s Nassau and Dance Smartly.
Cheyenne Stable’s Mystical Star and Flaxman Holdings’ Aruna, the 1-2 finishers of Belmont’s New York Stakes (gr. IIT) June 30, also merit consideration. Mystical Star, a 4-year-old daughter of 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Ghostzapper , has come to hand quickly this year for trainer Christophe Clement and has won half of her eight career starts. Aruna, a 5-year-old daughter of Mr. Greeley, has won multiple graded stakes, including Keeneland’s Juddmonte Spinster (gr. I) last year and brings a 7-for-16 career mark for trainer Graham Motion.
The Beverly D. drew four European-based runners, including Andrew Stone’s I'm A Dreamer, who was a sharp third in the Curragh’s Pretty Polly (Ire-I) for trainer David Simcock; Darley’s Joviality, who won the Windsor Forest (Eng-II) at Royal Ascot in June for trainer John Gosden; Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Susan Magnier’sUp, third in the Curragh’s Kilboy Estate’s (Ire-III) in her last start July 22 for O’Brien and Gestut Karlshof’s Kapitale, who won Cologne’s Kolner Herbst-Stutenpreis (Ger-III) last year and will make her 2012 debut for trainer Andreas Wohler.
Other Beverly D contenders include Frank Calabrese’s Romacaca, who won the grade III Modesty July 14; the Grange House Partnership’s Stars to Shine, who won the grade III Ontario Matron in her last start July 22; and Stone Farm’s Upperline, who won the grade III Arlington Matron.