The $150,000 Arlington Oaks (gr. III) returns to the schedule at Arlington Park July 21 after a one-year hiatus, featuring a well-matched field of eight distaffers headed by Spendthrift Farm's Treasured Up.
Third in the June 16 Regret Stakes (gr. IIIT) last time out over the lawn at Churchill Downs, the 3-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro came off a fourth-place finish in the $150,000 Edgewood Stakes on the May 4 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) undercard. Prior to that, trainer Al Stall Jr. sent her to victory in a first-level allowance over the Polytrack at Keeneland. Miguel Mena picks up the mount leaving post 6 for this 1 1/8-mile Polytrack test.
Assigned 118 pounds, Treasured Up gets a significant break compared to 124-pound highweight La Tia, who comes in off a sparkling 8 1/4-length score against state-bred rivals going one mile over Polytrack in the $113,125 Purple Violet Stakes. It was a second straight victory on the Arlington surface for the Illinois-bred daughter of City Place after breaking her maiden by nine lengths May 25 for Hernandez Racing Club and trainer Brian Williamson. Constantion Roman rides from the 7-hole.
Among those slated to face Treasured Up are the 1-2-3 finishers in the $66,400 Mariah's Storm Stakes at Arlington last month: Lady Candidate, Ire, and Ann of the Dance.
In addition to her Mariah's Storm score for Feel the Thunder Stable, John Adger, and Mike Stidham, the Stidham-trained Lady Candidate was an easy winner of a first-level allowance at Arlinton May 25 and is a perfect 2-for-2 this year. James Graham has been named to ride, leaving from the inside.
Ire, also trained by Stall, finished second in the $66,400 Meafara Stakes at Arlington June 2 in addition to her runner-up finish in the Mariah's Storm. The Political Force filly is a winner over Polytrack for Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm, having broken her maiden on Keeneland's synthetic surface in April. Inosencio Diego gets the call.
Ann of the Dance, a two-time winner at Arlington in 2011, is looking for her first victory of the season and her first graded stakes score in the Arlington Oaks. The Wayne Catalano-trained daughter of English Channel will be ridden by Diego Sanchez for Chasing Tails Stables.
John Oxley's Sky Dreamer invades from Canada for the weekend headliner off a 5 3/4-length tally in a first-level allowance over the Polytrack surface at Woodbine. Jermaine Bridgmohan is slated to ride the Sky Mesa filly trained by Mark Casse.
Completing the field are Olympia Star's Emona, third in both the Iowa Oaks (gr. III) and the Meafara, and G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Annie Russell, third in an Arlington allowance June 15.
$150,000 Arlington Oaks (gr. III, Race 8, 4:34 p.m. CDT), 3YO Fillies, 1 1/8 miles (All Weather)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Lady Candidate (NY), J. Graham, 122, M Stidham
2. Ire (KY), I. Diego, 118, A M Stall Jr.
3. Emona (KY), F. Geroux, 118, G Dorochenko
4. Annie Russell (KY), R.B. Homeister Jr., 118, G R Arnold II
5. Ann of the Dance (KY), D. Sanchez, 118, W M Catalano
6. Treasured Up (KY), M. Mena, 118, A M Stall Jr.
7. La Tia (IL), C. Roman, 124, B Williamson
8. Sky Dreamer (KY), J.V. Bridgmohan, 118, M E Casse
Treasured Up is in post 6 for the Arlington Oaks.
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