Tuscan Evening's sad demise earlier this month has left the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) devoid of any obvious favorite on Arlington Million day Aug. 21 at Arlington Park.
Tuscan Evening won Arlington's Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT) one month ago. The grade I winner, six-for-six in 2010, would have been a clear-cut favorite but she collapsed and died following a six-furlong workout at Del Mar Aug. 8.
Her loss has cast on a long shadow on this year's Beverly D., a 1 3/16-mile turf test that attracted 10 older fillies and mares. The tepid 4-1 morning line favorite is Rainbow View, who attempts to rebound from a fourth-place finish in the Modesty. Others could end up as the actual favorite, however, including Treat Gently, Ave, Éclair de Lune, and Hot Cha Cha, all listed at 6-1 or less.
In addition to the lucrative purse, the Beverly D. offers the winner an automatic berth in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. The race precedes the Arlington Million as the ninth on the program with a 4:24 p.m. CDT post.
Augustin Stable’s Rainbow View, a daughter of the prolific turf sire Dynaformer, is a seven-time winner in 15 starts over grass in four countries spanning two continents. Trained by Jonathan Sheppard since the beginning of the year, the 4-year-old filly sports a victory in the Gallorette (gr. IIIT) at Pimlico May 15 to go along with the fourth in the July 17 Modesty and a third-place run in the Nassau Stakes (Can-IIT) as the even-money favorite at Woodbine June 5.
As a 3-year-old trained by John Gosden last year, she won the Coolmore Fusaichi Pegasus Matron Stakes (Ire-I) at Ireland’s Leopardstown before being sent to North America last fall. Here she ran second in the E. P. Taylor (Can-IT) at Woodbine and then finished fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (gr. I) at Santa Anita, the only time she has not run on grass.
Rainbow View, a lifetime earner of $1,129,464, drew post 5 for the Beverly D. and will once again team up with Eclipse Award winning jockey Julien Leparoux, who captured the 2006 Beverly D. aboard Gorella.
Listed as the 9-2 second choice in the morning line, Juddmonte Farms’ Treat Gently comes into the Beverly D. off back-to-back scores in the Sheepshead Bay (gr. IIT) at Belmont Park May 22 and the Robert G. Dick Memorial Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Delaware Park July 17. The 5-year-old daughter of Cape Cross, who will start from post 9, is trained by Bill Mott and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, the Hall of Fame duo that teamed to win last year’s Beverly D. with Dynaforce.
Desormeaux rode Treat Gently to victory in the Sheepshead Bay, which she captured by 4 1/2 lengths. Transferred from France for a summer campaign in 2009, Treat Gently has been first or second in nine of 14 starts, winning five, with earnings of $482,870.
German-bred Éclair de Lune, runner-up by a half-length to Tuscan Evening in the Modesty, could give Arlington chairman Richard L. Duchossois a victory in the race named in memory of his late wife. The Ron McAnally-trained daughter of Marchand de Sable has shown improvement in each of her starts since being sent to North America before the start of this season.
The third choice in the early odds at 5-1, the 4-year-old filly pursues her first stakes win with the services of Arlington Park’s leading rider, Junior Alvarado. The drew post 6.
Also pegged at 5-1 is Three Chimneys Racing and Lordship Stud’s Ave. The English-bred daughter of Danehill Dancer is winless tin 2010 but has been competitive in all three of her starts.
Trained by Roger Attfield, the 4-year-old Ave ran third, beaten only a half-length by Rainbow View, in the Gallorette before finishing third in the New York Stakes (gr. IIT) at Belmont June 19. In her last start, the bay filly lost by a nose to Mekong Melody in Woodbine's nine-furlong Dance Smartly (Can-IIT) July 18. Ramon Dominguez has the mount aboard Ave, who drew post 10.
Hot Cha Cha, third in the Modesty last time out, became a force last September as a 3-year-old when she won the Pucker Up Stakes (gr. IIIT) over the Arlington course. Nelson McMakin’s daughter of Cactus Ridge next captured the Queen Elizabeth Challenge Cup (gr. IT) at Keeneland last October.
Right there in all four of her graded stakes efforts so far in 2010, Hot Cha Cha scored by three-quarters of a length in the Mint Julep Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs June 5. The Philip Sims trainee, listed as 6-1 in the morning line, drew post 2 and will again team with her regular rider James Graham. She has won six of 16 starts and banked $743,052.
Helen Alexander and Helen Grove's Acoma, a David Carroll-trained daughter of Empire Maker , makes her third start of the year at 8-1 on the morning line. The 5-year-old just missed by a neck when fourth as the 7-5 favorite in the Locust Grove Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill July 3. The multiple graded stakes winner has won eight of 16 in her career while earning $693,398. A four-time winner in seven turf starts, she drew post 3 and will be ridden by Jesus Castanon.
Gypsy's Warning, a South African-bred daughter of Mogok owned by Team Valor International and Green Lantern Stables, won the Eatontown Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Monmouth Park by a nose in her U.S. debut May 31. She would tire to fifth, however, in her most recent start, the Dance Smartly. Leaving from post 4, the Graham Motion-trained mare will be ridden by European-based jockey William Buick and is listed at 10-1 in the morning line.
Adding more spice to this year's Beverly D. lineup are Two European invaders starting in the U.S. for the first time – Michael Deegan’s Pachattack and Marquesa de Moratalla’s Biased.
A daughter of Pulpit, Pachattack has raced exclusively in Great Britain and comes to the Beverly D. off back-to-back tallies in Listed stakes. The 4-year-old filly, at 8-1, will be ridden by Kieren Fallon and will start from the rail.
Biased, an English-bred daughter of Haafhd, has spent her entire career in France where she has compiled a record of three wins from 12 starts, her most recent victory coming over an allowance field at Longchamp in July. In her last start, the Mikel Delzangles-trained 4-year-old finished third in the Listed Prix de la Pepiniere at Maisons-Laffitte. Leaving from post 7 at early odds of 20-1, Biased will be ridden by Gregory Benoist.
Completing the field for the Beverly D. is Frank Calabrese’s Romacaca. The locally based daughter of Running Stag returns to her home course after posting a five-length victory in the Mountaineer Park's Firecracker Stakes in West Virginia. The 4-year-old Nick Canani-trained filly is four-for-five over the Arlington turf course but has never traversed the Beverly D. distance.
The Horse Racing Radio Network will provide exclusive radio coverage of the grade I Secretariat Stakes, Beverly D., and Arlington Million. HRRN’s two-hour broadcast from 4:30-6:30 p.m. ET will include feature analysis of all three grade 1 stakes, along with pre and post race interviews, and announcer John Dooley’s live call of each race. Mike Penna will anchor the HRRN coverage, along with analysts Jude Feld, Rolly Hoyt, and Billy White. Adam Frenier will produce.
$750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT, Race 9, 4:24 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 3/16 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Trainer
1. Pachattack (KY), K Fallon, G A Butler
2. Hot Cha Cha (KY), J Graham, P A Sims
3. Acoma (KY), J L Castanon, D M Carroll
4. Gypsy's Warning (SAF), W T Buick, H G Motion
5. Rainbow View (KY), J R Leparoux, J E Sheppard
6. Eclair de Lune (GER), J Alvarado, R L McAnally
7. Biased (GB) G Benoist, M Delzangles
8. Romacaca (FL), M C Baze, N Canani
9. Treat Gently (GB), K J Desormeaux, W I Mott
10. Ave (GB), R A Dominguez, R L Attfield
All carry 123 pounds.
