Juddmonte Farms' uncoupled entrymates Tates Creek and Heat Haze, both conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel, drew posts two and three, respectively, and figure as the ones to beat in Saturday's $700,000 Beverly D. (gr. IT) at Arlington Park. The race attracted a field of eight turf distaffers-all of international caliber.
The Beverly D., is a 1 3/16-mile grass test for fillies and mares.
Tates Creek comes in to the Beverly D. off a rare three-way dead heat for place in the John C. Mabee Handicap (gr. IT) last month at Del Mar. Prior to that, the daughter of Rahy had reeled off four consecutive wins dating back to last September. The streak included a tally in the Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park. Patrick Valenzuela has the riding assignment.
Heat Haze, second in the Diana Handicap (gr. IT) at Saratoga in her last trip to the post, will attempt to give Frankel his second Beverly D. victory. Prior to the Diana defeat, the daughter of Green Desert won Santa Anita's Las Cienegas Handicap (gr. IIIT) from well off the pace and captured the Citgo Distaff Turf Mile (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs in similar fashion. Jockey Jose Valdivia Jr. will get a leg up from Franke,l who hopes to add to his gaudy total of 17 grade I victories so far this year. Frankel won the Beverly D. in 1995 with Possibly Perfect.
The Laura de Seroux-trained Dublino, a disappointing 10th over the Arlington course in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) last October, returns to Arlington off three straight second-place finishes in graded stakes competition. Last time out, the daughter of Lear Fan was part of the same triple dead heat for place in the Mabee Handicap that involved Tates Creek. Dublino's only victory in four starts this year came in her seasonal bow, the Wilshire Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood. Kent Desormeaux, who won the 1992 Beverly D. astride Kostroma, has the mount aboard Dublino, who drew post five.
Christophe Clement, who took the 2001 Beverly D. with Baron Edouard de Rothschild's England's Legend, will be represented this year by Moyglare Stud Farm's Dress To Thrill, who drew post eight. The daughter of Danehill won the Matriarch (gr. IT) at Hollywood Park as a 3-year-old last fall when trained by Dermot Weld. She has made but two starts this season but was a wire-to-wire victress in the All Along Breeders' Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Colonial Downs last month. Patrick Smullen, Dress To Thrill's regular rider during her sophomore season, reunites with her for the Beverly D.
The race's lone foreign-based participant is Gestut Schlenderhan's Walzerkoenigin, a multiple group race winner overseas. The daughter of Kingmambo captured the Premio Emilio Turati (Ity-II) at San Siro in her 2003 debut. Most recently, the Peter Schiergen trainee was third after a rough start in the Falmouth Stakes (eng-ii) at Newmarket. The 4-year-old was in the first wave of foreign horses to ship to Arlington for this year's Festival and has had plenty of time to acclimate herself to her new surroundings. Andreas Suborics, who guided Silvano to victory in the 2001 Arlington Million, will depart with Walzerkoenigin from post seven.
Arthur B. Hancock III's Owsley won the Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT), Arlington's prep for the Beverly D., over this course three weeks ago. The Randy Schulhofer-trained daughter of Harlan, who drew the rail and will be ridden by Arlington's leading jockey Rene Douglas, will attempt to become the first filly to win the Modesty and the Beverly D. in the same season. Just last week Schulhofer scored the first grade I win of his training career with New York-bred Whitmore's Conn in the Sword Dancer Invitational Handicap over the Saratoga grass.
Fox Ridge Farm's Riskaverse, fourth in the Diana in her last start, and John & Kris Richter's Bien Nicole, second in the Modesty last out and winner of the $100,000 Estrapade Handicap at Arlington last October, round out the field.
$700,000 Beverly D (gr. IT), fillies & mares 3 & up, 1 3/16 mile (4:10 CDT)PP. Horse, Jockey
1. Owsley (KY), Rene R. Douglas
2. Tates Creek (KY), Patrick A. Valenzuela
3. Heat Haze (GB), Jose Valdivia, Jr.
4. Bien Nicole (KY), Donald R. Pettinger
5. Dublino (KY), Kent J. Desormeaux
6. Riskaverse (KY), Pat Day
7. Walzerkoenigin (KY), Andreas Suborics
8. Dress To Thrill (IRE), Pat Smullen
All carry 123 pounds.
