Arlington Park | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Mary’ Meets ‘Barbara’ in Beverly D.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL–For all leading trainer Graham Motion has accomplished in an illustrious career, missing from his resume is a victory in any of Chicago's Grade I events. Alex Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary (Scat Daddy) will try to right that wrong as the 9-5 morning-line selection for Saturday's GI Beverly D. S., the first of the afternoon's top-level tests.

A treble graded winner in 2020, the homebred was just run down by champion Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in the GI Diana S. last August and weakened to seventh at 7-2 after setting a demanding pace in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf in November. The dark bay made her seasonal return with a deceptively easy victory in the GIII Gallorette S. at Pimlico May 15, besting a pair of next-out GSWs in the process, and exits a narrow defense of her title in the GII New York S. June 4 in ground that she may not have relished. Luis Saez has the riding assignment.

Remarkably, trainer Aidan O'Brien has never sent out a winner of the Beverly D., but Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) will be well-backed to rectify that anomaly. Fourth as the favorite to recent G1 Prix Rothschild heroine and stablemate Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in the G1 QIPCO 1000 Guineas first off a September maiden win, Santa Barbara failed to fire in the G1 Cazoo Oaks June 4, finishing a distant fifth, before bouncing back with a narrow loss against older females in the G1 Pretty Polly S. June 27. She was back on 13 days' rest in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. and things looked bleak entering the final eighth of a mile before she exploded late to decision Con Lima (Commissioner) and Higher Truth (Ire), first and second home in last weekend's GIII Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. Santa Barbara gets six pounds from Mean Mary as she tries to join Euro Charline (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) as the only 3-year-old winners of the Beverly D.

If Chad Brown is to win the Beverly D. for the sixth year running, it will be with Lemista (Ire) (Raven's Pass), whose owner Peter Brant campaigned 2018/2019 winner Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). A two-time group winner in Ireland for Ger Lyons, she rallied into no pace whatsoever to just miss to GISW Harvey's Lil Goil (American Pharoah) in the GIII Beaugay S. on U.S. debut in May. She will try to rebound from a last-of-eight effort in the GI Diana S. July 17 with Flavien Prat at the controls.

Naval Laughter (Midshipman), who broke her maiden by nearly 20 lengths over the synthetic track June 3, most recently belied odds touching 9-1 to upset the course-and-distance GIII Modesty S. July 17 over Joy Epifora (Arg) (Fortify) and Bramble Queen (Silent Name {Jpn}).

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Domestic Spending Leads Home Challenge in Mister D.

Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}), perfect in three starts this term and in six of seven trips to the post in his career, will look to give Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables a second consecutive success in the GI Mister D. S. (formerly Arlington Million) and provide trainer Chad Brown with a record-extending fifth when he faces as many as nine rivals in what is to be the final running (at Arlington Park) of America's first million-dollar race Saturday in suburban Chicago.

A 300,000gns purchase out of the 2018 Tattersalls October Book 1 sale, the bay gelding defeated Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute) and Gufo (Declaration of War) in a thrilling renewal of the GI Hollywood Derby last November, then–with Flavien Prat in the irons for the first time–shared the spoils with Colonel Liam (Liam's Map) in the GI Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic on the Derby undercard May 1. With a score to settle in the GI Manhattan S. June 5, Domestic Spending threw in a :23 second final quarter to easily best the tactically disadvantaged Gufo to cement his position as this country's leading turf horse. Colonel Liam finished a non-threatening eighth in what has become a key race.

Domestic Spending will try to follow in the hoofprints of 2019 winner and eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway), and there is not much between the two in the estimation of trainer Chad Brown.

“It's not crazy at all to compare him to that horse,” Brown told Mike Kane earlier this week. “Numbers-wise, he's running as fast as any of that top group of turf colts I've had. He's got a lot more to accomplish to be included in that group or to be the head of that group. But, you think about Bricks and Mortar, you think about Flintshire, you think about Beach Patrol, who was a really nice horse who won the Arlington Million and the Secretariat; you think about Big Blue Kitten, who was a multiple Grade I winner and champion. Of course Bricks and Mortar is at the very top of the list.”

In the form of Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Domestic Spending has his most formidable foe to date. A Group 3 winner and twice Group 1-placed at two, the son of MGSP After (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was successful at Group 3 level and sound runner-up to Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last October. Victorious in the G2 Huxley S. around tight-turning Chester May 7, he fought on bravely to be a close third to front-running stable companion Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot June 16 and was most recently beaten 1 1/4 lengths into fourth when carrying 135 pounds and giving weight all around in the G2 York S. July 24. Ryan Moore, in the saddle for three of the colt's five career wins, is back aboard. A victory would be the third for both O'Brien (Powerscourt {GB}, 2005; Cape Blanco {Ire}, 2011) and the late Galileo (Cape Blanco and Mondialiste {Ire}, 2016).

Bizzee Channel (English Channel) sat a perfect trip and slipped through inside of pacesetting Two Emmys (English Channel) to win the GIII Arlington S. July 17, as odds-on Zulu Alpha (Street Cry {Ire}) finished a one-paced fifth. If willing to forgive a first-up effort that arguably looks worse on paper than it really was, the 8-year-old can pick up a minor share. Zulu Alpha gets the services of leading Saratoga rider Luis Saez to boot.

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Live Coverage From Arlington, Del Mar Highlights TVG’s Weekend Broadcast

TVG will be live on site from Arlington Park this weekend with full coverage of the final major day of racing in the track's storied history featuring the $600,000 Mr. D Stakes (G1), formerly the Arlington Million, one of three Grade 1 turf events on the card. The weekend will also feature live coverage of racing from Del Mar.

TVG's Mike Joyce and Scott Hazelton, both of whom with longtime family ties to horse racing in Illinois, will be live on site at Arlington Park with coverage including expert analysis and interviews as the track hosts eight stakes races including the $600,000 Mr. D. Stakes (G1), formerly the Arlington Million.

The Mr. D. Stakes (G1), renamed in honor of longtime track owner Richard L. Duchossois, has attracted a field of ten turf horses including Domestic Spending, the morning line favorite at odds of 6-5 for trainer Chad Brown who has saddled four winners of the Arlington Million including the last three winners. The 4-year-old gelding has won six of his seven lifetime starts and was last seen winning the Manhattan Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park in June. Flavien Prat will be in the irons.

At Del Mar this weekend, Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker, Britney Eurton, Joaquin Jaime, and Larry Collmus will be trackside with exclusive interviews, insights and handicapping selections throughout Saturday's ten-race card. The featured event is the $80,000 PT, CTT and TOC Stakes for fillies and mares going 1 3/8 miles on the main track. Richard Mandella will saddle Tapwater, a homebred daughter of Tapit for LNJ Foxwoods. The five-year-old mare will have Umberto Rispoli aboard as she tries to earn her first stakes victory.

In addition to racing from Del Mar and Arlington Park, TVG will also be featuring Monmouth Park, Gulfstream Park, Pimlico and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

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Equibase Analysis: Armory Poised To Upset Domestic Spending In Mr. D.

This Saturday's Grade 1, $600,000 Mr. D. Stakes, formerly the Arlington Million, features a strong field of 10 including Domestic Spending (GB), who has reeled off three straight Grade 1 stakes wins, the most recent of which came in the Manhattan Stakes in June at the distance of the Mr. D. Stakes.

Zulu Alpha, who leads the field in career earnings at $2.2 million, makes his second start following 10 months off and hopes to run back to his form of 2020 when winning three of five graded stakes including the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes. Bizzee Channel just won the local prep for this race, the Grade 3 Arlington Stakes and goes for his third win in a row. Then there's Armory (IRE) – from the barn of Aiden O'Brien (who will bring along world class jockey Ryan Moore from across the pond as well) – who finished fourth in the Group 2 York Stakes in his most recent race and who won the Group 2 Hurley Stakes earlier this year.

Two Emmys missed by a head to Bizzee Channel in the Arlington Stakes and could be up to the task, as could Arlington Stakes third-place finisher Another Mystery. Strong Tide finished sixth in the non-graded Johnathan B. Schuster Memorial Stakes in his most recent start and similarly Glynn County was fifth in the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes around the same time and both appear overmatched in this field. Big Dreaming finished second in the Dueling Grounds Derby last summer and enters the race off an allowance win but is taking a very big step up on class to this grade 1 stakes level. Space Traveler (GB) is another European import. He has never run farther than one mile in his 19-race career and his most recent win came in the non-graded Ganton Stakes in June at a mile.

Armory (IRE) can add to the success European imports have had in Grade 1 races in the U.S. this summer, similar to Bolshoi Ballet winning the Belmont Derby and State of Rest winning the Saratoga Invitational Derby last weekend. Armory (IRE) has won five of 15 career starts, including one at this 10-furlong turf trip and one at the slightly longer distance of one and five-sixteenths miles. After a runner-up effort in the Group 1 Cox Plate in Australia last October, Armory (IRE) took time off to mature and returned as a 4-year-old to win the Hurley Stakes in May, earning a then career-best 118 ™ Equibase® Speed Figure. Next, even when third in the Prince of Wales's Stakes in June at Royal Ascot, Armory (IRE) ran fantastically well when checking in third behind sensational turf star Love, improving his career-best figure to 122. Most recently, Armory finished third in the York Stakes last month, behind another superstar in Bangkok, with a 115 figure effort. Jockey Ryan Moore, who rode the trainer's Bolshoi Ballet to victory in the Belmont Derby earlier this year, comes in from Europe to ride and the only time he rode Armory (IRE) this year was to victory in the Hurley Stakes, which suggests Armory (IRE) is ready to win for the sixth time in his 16th career start and emerge victorious in the Mr. D. Stakes.

Domestic Spending (GB) is the strongest challenger to Armory (IRE) in this race, having earned a 119™ figure when winning the Manhattan Stakes on Belmont Stakes day in June in his most recent start. Now having won four stakes in a row starting with the 2020 Saratoga Derby, Domestic Spending (GB) has proven he loves firing big off short rests, such as when winning the Hollywood Derby last fall and when winning the Turf Classic Stakes in May. Jockey Flavien Prat has been aboard for his last two wins and knows exactly when to tell Domestic Spending (GB) to change gears, just as he did in the Manhattan when going from 11 lengths behind the leader in seventh after a mile, to second with an eighth of a mile to go, before drawing off to win by nearly three lengths. Now possessing a six for seven in his career, if Domestic Spending (GB) runs as expected the likely stretch battle between him and Armory (IRE) may be one for the ages.

Zulu Alpha leads the field with 12 career wins and $2.2 million in earnings. Although more known as a horse who loves to run a mile and one-half, the distance he won the Elkhorn Stakes (116™ figure) last year, Zulu Alpha has won at this 10 furlong trip as well and he has won on the Arlington Park turf course as well, something neither Armory (IRE) or Domestic Spending (GB) can claim. Having been away from the races since last September, Zulu Alpha's fifth-place finish in the Arlington Stakes last month can be viewed as a prep for this race. Having earned a career-best 123 figure in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes last year and a 116 figure in the Elkhorn, there can be little doubt Zulu Alpha can run well enough to win this race.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase Speed Figures, is Another Mystery (113), Big Dreaming (106), Bizzee Channel (111), Glynn County (105), Space Traveller (GB) (112), Strong Tide (115) and Two Emmys (108).

Win contenders:
Armory (IRE)
Domestic Spending (GB)
Zulu Alpha

Mr. D. Stakes – Grade 1
Race 9 at Arlington Park
Saturday August 14 – Post Time 7:13 PM E.T.
One Mile and One Quarter on Turf
Three Year Olds and Upward
Purse: $600,000

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