Auntie Joy heads full, competitive field in Pucker Up
A full field of 3-year-old fillies was entered in Saturday’s Grade III $100,000 Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington International Raceourse, with the 1 1/8-miles turf event scheduled to close out Arlington’s 10-race card.
Sanford Robertson’s Auntie Joy, most recently sixth in the Grade I Belmont Oaks Invitational last month, headlines the competitive field. Trained by Brendan Walsh, the daughter of Uncle Mo will seek her second graded stakes win after capturing the Grade III Regret Stakes at Churchill Downs in June. In three of her last four races, Auntie Joy has faced off with Catch a Glimpse, who remains undefeated in eight career turf starts. Brian Hernandez, Jr. will have the return call from post nine.
Great Point Stables’ Noble Beauty, second behind Auntie Joy in the Regret and most recently eighth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational, will look to post her first stakes victory in the Pucker Up. Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Kitten’s Joy has started just four times in her career and has earned a pair of stakes placings. Florent Geroux will ride for the first time from post 11.
The one-two finishers from last month’s TaWee Stakes at Indiana Grand will meet again in the Pucker Up. Gunpowder Farms’ Nawlins Kitty crossed the wire first in that one-mile turf event, but was disqualified to eighth, elevating Carolyn Friedberg and Jeff Larson’s Inconclusive to the top spot.
Nawlins Kitty, a daughter of Kitten’s Joy trained by Buff Bradley, was making just her second career start in the TaWee and will look to cross the wire first for the third time in as many starts in the Pucker Up. Shaun Bridgmohan, aboard for her debut victory, will take the call from post seven. Richie Scherer trains Inconclusive, now a two-time stakes winner who also finished second in the Grade III Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park in April. Robby Albarado will ride the daughter of Include from the rail.
Nobody’s Fault (Flavien Prat, post two), Try Your Luck (Corey Lanerie, post three), Galilea (Joe Bravo, post four), Miss Gossip (Seamie Heffernan, post five), Felt in Pocket (Constantino Roman, post six), Moms Choice (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post eight), Princess Erindelle (Carlos Marquez, Jr., post 10), Fitpitcher (Marcelino Pedroza, post 11), Bonita Cat (Mitchell Murrill, post 13) and Havana Dream (Jose Lezcano, post 14) complete the field.
Earlier in the card, ten 3-year-olds were entered in the $75,000 Bruce D. Memorial at one mile on the main track.
Get Away Farm’s minor stakes winner Two Step Time headlines the field as he drops in class out of four consecutive graded stakes tries. Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Two Step Salsa was a close fourth in the Grade III Spiral Stakes on Polytrack at Turfway Park behind Grade I Secretariat Stakes contender Oscar Nominated. Robby Albarado will ride from post nine.
Maggi Moss’ Midshipman gelding Pilot House is another who will be getting class relief in the Bruce D. Memorial, having split the field when sixth in last month’s Grade II Indiana Derby at Indiana Grand. The Bruce D. will be the first career start on a synthetic surface for the Tom Amoss trainee who will be ridden by Arlington’s leading rider Jose Valdivia, Jr. from post two.
Aschinger Bloodstock’s maiden Itsnotezbeinbreezy will run in his third stakes race in his sixth lifetime start after contesting both the Grade III Arlington Classic and the Grade III American Derby earlier in the Arlington meet. Beaten 3¼ and 4¼ lengths, respectively, in those two starts, the Gerald Aschinger-trained son of Kitalpha was recently third at the Bruce D.’s one-mile main track trip at Arlington when facing maidens. Carlos Marquez, Jr. will pick up the mount from post five.
Yo Carm (Jose Lezcano, rail), Runningfromthefeds (E. T. Baird, post three), Mongolian Holiday (Carlos Montalvo, post four), Who’s Your Drama (Julio Felix, post six), Cortege (Edgar Perez, post seven), Michael J. (Florent Geroux, post eight) and Call the Colonel (Flavien Prat, post 10) complete the field.
Source: Arlington Park