Arlington Fave Flower Spell Sets Sail for Open Mind

Flower Spell, who for two seasons has been considered one of the fastest fillies on the Arlington International Racecourse grounds, takes her show on the road this weekend to Churchill Downs for the $100,000 Open Mind Stakes over six furlongs on the main course. The daughter of Flower Alley, who has won four of her nine Arlington races and was second two starts back in the Grade III $150,000 Chicago Handicap on short rest, hopes to continue her current good form.

 

“She’s doing excellent and ran big last time,” said trainer Ingrid Mason, who co-owns the 4-year-old filly with Dare to Dream Stable and Little Bear Racing Stables. “She ran huge last time at Canterbury and earned a 90 Beyer. She has shown a new dimension and ran a different kind of race last time, coming from off the pace and running down the other horse. We’ve been working with her and her therapy has really helped her.”

 

The race she won, the Hoist Her Flag Stakes, also earned the filly a career-high 108 Equibase Speed Figure. On the morning line at 4-1 and breaking from post three in the Open Mind, the sizeable chestnut will have to use her new stalking dimension against quality opposition like graded stakes filly Vuitton (5-2) and the promising Interest Free (3-1).

 

“She’s moving in the right direction right now,” Mason continued. “Her biggest thing has always been her lungs and she’s doing so much better now. She just worked a bullet and did it very easily - but she always does. She just cruises along and works effortlessly. (Jockey) Rosemary (Homeister, Jr.) is going to ride her again.”

 

The Kentucky-bred filly has worked three consecutive bullets at Arlington, including the aforementioned move in :59.40 on Sept. 6.

 

Source: Arlington Park Communications 

 

Meanwhile, W. S. Farish’s Interest Free, fifth in the Gardenia Handicap (Grade III) in her last start, is looking for her first stakes win in Saturday’s $100,000-added Open Mind under the Twin Spires.

 

Trained by Neil Howard, the 4-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate will face six other fillies and mares as the 3-1 second choice on the morning line.

 

“She’s done well,” Howard said. “I thought her last race was good, especially running against the kind of fillies she was running against. They didn’t go that quick up front if I recall. So it was a tough race but I think she ran OK and she’s done very well since then.”

 

Howard expressed a confidence in Interest Free’s ability to handle the track at Churchill Downs, as well as handling the cut-back from a mile in her last start to six furlongs in the Open Mind.

 

“For the most part, she likes Churchill and her races here have been solid,” Howard said. “I’ve had a hard time deciding exactly what she needs. I think she’s in the middle distance-wise; seven eighths (of a mile) to a mile is probably more suitable for her but with the long stretch here at Churchill I expect her to handle six furlongs well.”

 

Interest Free has raced at Churchill twice, winning once last May and finishing third once in an optional claiming race at the Louisville track during the Spring Meet. Howard also thinks the addition of blinkers will help Interest Free early on in Saturday’s race.

 

“I’m putting blinkers on her for this race, just maybe to keep her from getting too far back early. She’s trained well with the blinkers on, but you really never know how they’ll do with blinkers until they actually race with them.”

 

While commending the filly’s consistence, Howard also mentioned that sometimes her biggest challenge comes from within.

 

“She’s got a good demeanor; she’s a very easy keeper and easy filly to train,” Howard said. “She’s been fairly consistent, but sometimes she’s her own worst enemy with her running style, she definitely depends on a little help up front.

 

“There’s not a whole lot of speed in there, but again she’s trained well and I’m hoping the blinkers will help her a little bit with that.”

 

Saturday’s featured Open Mind is the ninth of 10 races with an approximate post time of 4:55 p.m. ET. 

 

Source: Churchill Downs Communications