Arnold's Fully Living Set for Pippin

Fully Living, a daughter of Unbridled’s Song who is loaded with back class, looks to get her 4-year-old campaign off to a strong start by notching her first stakes win when she steps into the starting gate for the Pippin.

The race will be her first since a disappointing 10th place finish in the $100,000 Safely Kept Stakes at Laurel Park November 9, and trainer Rusty Arnold is encouraged by the way she’s taken to the Oaklawn strip in the mornings.

“Her second work (a 4f breeze in 51.60 on Jan. 12) was much better than her first work (4f breezing in 49.00on December 31, Arnold said. “Jack (Bohannon, his Oaklawn-based assistant) said she got a little tired. I think the track has been a little bit slower and he said in her second work she went very well and felt good. We’ve been pointing for this race for about a month and a half, so we think we’re getting her there in good shape.”

Fully Living, who is out of the Pulpit mare Half A.P., was purchased by Spendthrift Farm for $425,000 at the Keeneland Select Yearling sale in 2011 and sent to trainer Kenny McPeek. Her first start was a fourth place finish behind So Many Ways in the Grade 3 Schuylerville at Saratoga, and she stayed at The Spa for her next two tests, a third behind Kauai Katie in the Grade 2 Adirondack and a second to Dreaming of Julia in the Meadow Star.

After six races and at the end of October in her juvenile season, she was sold to Old Oak Farm and Ashview Farm and Arnold took over her training. She made five starts as a 3-year-old last year at five different tracks, with one win and a second, when she closed willingly to miss by a head to Indian Spell in the Miss Woodford at Monmouth on August 31.

“When Kenny had her as a two-year-old, she ran against some of the best fillies there were, and she’s had some good races last year,” said Arnold. “Her last one was her only bad race of the whole year so we backed off of her and regrouped.”

The Pippin will be contested at 1 1/16 miles and Fully Living’s last six races have been sprints so Arnold said he hopes the filly will be able to stretch out. She’s certainly bred to get the distance and now it’s up to whether she’ll handle the competition.

“It’s going to be a very tough race; any stakes race is,” said Arnold. “She hasn’t won one yet, so it’s a step up. But, we’ll give ‘em a try and see if we belong there.”