Take a Check and Maggie Slew, both graded stakes-placed, top a field of six fillies and mares entered for Saturday's $150,000 Arlington Matron Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Arlington Park. The 1 1/8-mile mile event goes as the eighth of nine races on the holiday weekend card.Take a Check, owned by Fitzhugh LLC, comes into Saturday's Matron off a third-place finish in the Delaware Handicap (gr. II). Previously, the daughter of Touch Gold ran third in three other stakes events – the $100,000 Obeah Handicap at Delaware, the $50,000 Shine Again Stakes at Pimlico and the $60,000 Snow Goose Stakes at Laurel. The Richard Small trainee will be ridden for the first time Saturday by Arlington-based Francisco Torres.Swifty Farms' Maggie Slew, a 3-year-old daughter of Seattle Slew, finished second in each of her last two trips to the post. She was runner-up against her own age group in the Iowa Oaks (gr. III) at Prairie Meadows June 30 and against older rivals in the Gardenia Handicap (gr. III) at Ellis Park Aug. 5. The Dave Vance-trained miss, who will be ridden Saturday by Randall Toups, owns two victories this season, both coming in allowance races at Churchill Downs.Arlington Park's leading stakes trainer Christine Janks has entered three – For Gillian, Stop a Train and Sunset Kisses. Of that trio, only Sunset Kisses, who is owned by Letto Thoroughbreds, comes in off a stakes win. She captured the $41,375 Mariah's Storm Stakes in her last start. The daughter of Sky Classic is three for six this year and will be ridden Saturday by Larry Sterling Jr.Stop a Train, owned by Arbaway Farms, Carson Springs Farm and the Estate of William Lydon, has won her last three starts and four of five overall at Arlington. Her stablemate For Gillian is looking for her first victory of 2006. Arlington's leading rider Chris Emigh has been named aboard both halves of the entry.Completing the line-up for the Arlington Matron is Strode Stable LLC's Sea Siren. The Ralph Nicks-trained daughter of Stormy Atlantic was 10th in the Gardenia last time out but won a second-level allowance at Churchill Downs two starts back. Mark Guidry has the mount.
$150,000 Arlington Matron Handicap (gr. III, Race 8, 4:25 p.m.), Fillies & Mares 3 & Up, 1 1/8 Miles PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, ML Odds 1. a-For Gillian (FL), Christopher A. Emigh, 113, 9/2 2. Sea Siren (FL), Mark Guidry, 113, 8/1 3. Maggie Slew (IN), Randall Toups, 112, 9/5 4. a-Stop a Train (IL), Christopher A. Emigh, 114, 9/2 5. Take a Check (MD), Francisco C. Torres, 116, 6/5 6. Sunset Kisses (FL), Larry J. Sterling, Jr., 115, 7/2
