Avisionofchocolate Sets Sights On Arl-Wash Futurity
Ten promising freshman fillies will fight for their first stakes victory in Saturday’s 81st running of the Listed $75,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie at Arlington International Racecourse. At seven furlongs over the Polytrack main track of the Chicagoland oval, the Lassie has been won by the likes of subsequently crowned champion 2-year-old fillies Beaugay, Bewitch, Mira Femme, It’s In the Air, Family Style, Eliza and She Be Wild.
Jean Zehnder’s Avisionofchocolate enters the Lassie in what will be her third career start after a victory in maiden company on May 31 at Parx and a runner-up finish in the Listed $125,000 My Dear Stakes at Woodbine on June 28. Off since, the daughter of sprinter J Be K will be moving up a quarter-mile in trip from the My Dear’s five furlongs when Jon Court rides from post nine.
Of the three local maiden winners entered back in the Lassie, none were as impressive as Carolyn Friendberg and Jeff Larson’s Inconclusive on July 24. Traveling 5½-furlongs that day, the daughter of Include closed from nearly nine lengths back in last to win by a widening 4¾ lengths under Jose Valdivia, Jr., who retains the mount from post eight.
The high-percentage stable of trainer Tom Amoss invades from Kentucky with Rosemont Farm’s homebred filly Venus Valentine. Fresh off a 3¼-length win going six furlongs at Ellis Park, the daughter of Congrats out of two-time Polytrack stakes winner Valentine Fever should be right at home over Arlington’s synthetic course when she breaks from post four under leading rider Mitchell Murrill.
TNT Thoroughbreds V’s Silver Lode and Asiel Stable’s Moonlitediscretion ran one-two in a July 19 maiden at Arlington going five panels before the latter returned two weeks later to graduate going 5½ furlongs at Indiana Grand. Santo Sanjur rides Doug Matthews-trained Silver Lode from post two, while Rosemary Homeister, Jr., rides Moonlitediscretion from the five-hole.
Well-bred Escalante enters for Godolphin Racing and trainer Eoin Harty. Drawn on the rail under Edgar Perez, the daughter of Bernardini out of stakes winner Desert Gold is a half-sister to White Moonstone, who won the Group I Fillies’ Mile as a juvenile in 2010. Second at first asking at Presque Isle Downs on Aug. 11 after a series of sharp Arlington works, she is the lone filly to have raced beyond six furlongs.
The remainder of the Arlington-Washington Futurity field is comprised of Hey Monba (Carlos Montalvo, post three), Marquee Miss(Manny Esquivel, post six), Run to Glory (Tim Thornton, post seven) and Lu Sea (Chris Emigh, post 10).
Source: Arlington Park