Cox Prepares Colonel Bowman For Ellis Park Derby, Three Fillies For Groupie Doll

Meet-leading trainer Brad Cox has a barn well-stocked with 3-year-old stakes-winners, and Colonel Bowman will try to become the latest in Sunday's $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby.

Colonel Bowman earned a shot at stakes company by taking an Ellis Park allowance race.

“He's trained very well up to the race,” said Jorge Abrego, who oversees Cox's Ellis Park operation. “It was his first time going two turns last time; he handled it very well. After the race, he came back good, breezed a couple of times really good. I'm very excited because it's a mile and an eighth. I think he'll run well. I like the horse. I'm not really scared of the competition. I think he has a big shot to win the race.”

Abrego, who was around Colonel Bowman all spring at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., says he's noticed a change.

“He gallops a mile and a half every day,” he said. “Second round, he gets stronger and stronger. I think the two turns for him is very good.”

Cox entered three horses in the $125,000 RUNHAPPY Groupie Doll for fillies and mares: stakes-winning and graded stakes-place Dreamalildreamofu, sprint specialist Lady Rocket, and Indiana Grand stakes-winner Matera, who needs a scratch to run. When it was suggested that he was going to be busy in the paddock saddling horses, Abrego quipped, “I hope it keeps me busy in the winner's circle!”

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Abby Hatcher Springs 19-1 Upset In Chicago Stakes

Abby Hatcher and Alex Achard rallied out in the middle of the track to run down favorites Club Car and Dreamalildreamofu in Saturday's Grade 3 Chicago Stakes at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill.

Trained by Anna Meah and owned by her husband David Meah, Abby Hatcher covered seven furlongs on a wet synthetic surface rated fast in 1:22.27. The 4-year-old Irish-bred filly by Acclamation finished  a half-length clear of Club Car, the 5-2 second choice, with 11-10 favorite Dreamalildreamofu another half-length back in third in the field of nine fillies and mares.

Abby Hatcher paid $40 to win. The Chicago Stakes was her first added-money victory and third over from nine starts in a career that began in Ireland in 2019. This was her second win from six starts in the U.S.

She Can't Sing set the early fractions, going the opening quarter mile in :23.39 and the half in :45.93. Club Car took over at the furlong grounds, the six furlongs clocked in 1:09.66, with Dreamalildreamofu applying pressure. But Achard had all the momentum aboard Abby Hatcher and moved to the lead in the final yards.

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Timing Right for Horologist in Allaire Du Pont

Horologist (Gemologist) aims to collect her sixth career stakes victory in Friday's GIII Allaire du Pont S. at Pimlico. The du Pont returns to its traditional spot on Preakness weekend after being moved to late December because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Transferred to trainer Bill Mott last summer, the New Jersey bred kicked off her tenure with the Hall of Famer with a score in Monmouth's GIII Molly Pitcher S. in July before finishing third in Churchill's GI La Troienne S. in September. Victorious in the Oct. 4 GII Beldame Invitational S., the bay tired to ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 7, but rebounded to take Aqueduct's Top Flight Invitational S. Apr. 10.

Horologist can give Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott his second du Pont victory, following Ajinia–1997's champion 3-year-old filly– in 1998.

Brad Cox enters Friday's nine-furlong contest with the pair of Dreamalildreamofu (Commissioner) and Getridofwhatailesu (Ghostzapper). The Elkstone Group's Getridofwhatailesu won the Jan. 23 Pippin S. at Oaklawn before finishing third in the GII Azeri S. won by 2020 GI Kentucky Oaks-winning stablemate Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil). In her latest start, she finished fourth behind the front-running Letruska (Super Saver) with Cox-trained two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) second in the Apr. 17 GI Apple Blossom S.

“She's a stakes-winner and hopefully we can make her a graded-stakes winner,” Cox said. “She's doing great, and probably is going to get a little class relief. No Letruskas or Monomoy Girls in this group.”

Full of Run Racing's Dreamalildreamofu exits a narrow triumph in the eight-furlong Latonia S. over Turfway Park's all-weather surface in March. A winner on all three surfaces, she is making her graded-stakes debut Fridy.

“Dreamalildreamofu is coming off a synthetic race,” Cox said. “She's performed well on three different surfaces–turf, dirt and synthetic. So, we have options with her.”

Robert and Lawana Low's Spice Is Nice (Curlin) is seeking her first career stakes win in the du Pont, a race her trainer Todd Pletcher won with Pool Land (2006), Super Espresso (2011) and Stopchargingmaria (2015).

Second in Gulfstream's GII Davona Dale S. following a 12-length debut triumph early in 2020, the chetsnut won an optional claiming allowance at Belmont later in July before running sixth the following month in the 10-furlong GI Alabama S., in what turned out to be her seasonal finale. She returned to win a 8 1/2-furlong optional claiming allowance at Keeneland Apr. 9, her first start in nearly eight months.

“She had a nice allowance win at Keeneland. The timing is good for this,” Pletcher said. “She's a nice filly that had a good break and came back well from it. So, we're making the step back into the graded stakes ranks and feel good about the way she is doing.”

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