Little Treasure Favored in Arlington's Pucker Up

French-bred filly Little Treasure, who races for the Sidney Port Trust & San Gabriel Investments, invades Arlington Park from her California home base as the likely favorite among 11 sophomores entered for Saturday's $150,000 Pucker Up Stakes (gr. IIIT) at 1 1/8-mile on the turf.

A daughter of Night Shift, Little Treasure, who drew the rail and carries top weight of 122 pounds, was victorious in her North American debut last month, the San Clemente Handicap (gr. IIT) at Del Mar on Aug. 3.

Prior to being sent to the United States, she won four races overseas including the Prix de Bagatelle at Chantilly in France in her final European start in May. Trainer Laura de Seroux has the services of Arlington Park's leading jockey, Rene Douglas, to handle the reins in the Pucker Up.

Another filly in the Pucker UP with more recent European lines is Mrs. M. de Chambure's Baldellia.

The French-bred daughter of Grape Tree Road won a stakes race against sophomore fillies at Maisons-Laffitte by a half a length on June 7. Last time out, the David Smaga-trained miss was unsuccessful when facing older rivals at Deauville on Aug. 4.

Veteran Arlington rider Eusebio Razo Jr. picked up the mount aboard Baldellia.

Florida-based Cellars Shiraz, owned by Robert B. Walker, is in search of her sixth stakes victory of the season. The daughter of Kissin Kris took the restricted $50,000 Convenience Stakes at Calder in her last start Aug. 3 after finishing fifth in the $500,000 American Oaks at Hollywood one month earlier.

The biggest score of the year for the Bill Cesare trainee came in the Herecomesthebride (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park in February. Regular rider Cornelius Velasquez makes the trip from the Sunshine State to pilot Cellars Shiraz.

WinStar Farm LLC's Miss Marcia ships in from New York where the daughter of Mr. Greeley finished third in the Lake Placid Handicap (gr. IIT) in her most recent start on Aug. 18 at Saratoga.

The lightly raced Elliot Walden charge has two wins this year, breaking her maiden over the Gulfstream turf in January and capturing a first-level allowance race at Churchill Downs on June 1. Carey Lanerie has the call.

Others in the field are:

* Wertheimer Farm's Attico (Frank Lovato Jr.), runner-up in the $60,000 Office Wife Stakes July 28;
* Russell L. Reineman Stable Inc.'s Bee My Honey (Chris Emigh), who won over the Arlington course
in June;
* Barr H. Inman's Delicatessa (Eduardo Perez), winner of a first-level allowance on Aug. 8;
* G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s Kathy K D, fourth in the Regret (gr. III) at Churchill in her most recent start.
* Millard R. Seldin's Traci's Wild (Larry Sterling Jr.), fourth in the Fantasy (gr. II) at Oaklawn and third in the $100,000 Edgewood at Churchill this spring;
* Ronald K. Kirk's Transition Time (Joe Johnson), whose three-race win skein includes the Office Wife in her last trip to the post;
* Thunderhead Farms' Yalta (Don Pettinger), a first-level allowance winner on Aug. 4.

$150,000 Pucker Up Stakes (gr. 111T, 1 1/8 mile, 3-year-old fillies)
PP Horse, Weight, Jockey
1 Little Treasure (FR), 122, Rene R. Douglas
2 Bee My Honey (KY), 116, Christopher A. Emigh
3 Kathy K D (KY), 116, Ray Sibille
4 Cellars Shiraz (FL, 122, Cornelio H. Velasquez
5 Yalta (KY), 116, Donald R. Pettinger
6 Miss Marcia (FL), 116, Corey J. Lanerie
7 Traci's Wild (KY), 118, Larry J. Sterling, Jr.
8 Delicatessa (KY), 116, Eduardo E. Perez
9 Baldellia (FR), 118, Eusebio Razo, Jr.
10 Attico (KY), 116, Frank Lovato, Jr.
11 Transition Time (KY), 118, Joe M. Johnson