Every Way Targets Bigger Arlington Prize

Every Way, who defeated multiple Illinois champion La Tia in a salty Arlington International Racecourse allowance on May 9, is on target for bigger and better prizes after a photo-finish second in the Minnesota HBPA Distaff Stakes at Canterbury Park last Saturday, June 7.  After sitting comfortably off the pace with regular jockey James Graham on the off-the-turf muddy event, the daughter of City Zip engaged favorite Gold Medal Dancer and battled the length of the stretch, only to lose by a head at the wire.

"She came out in good shape," trainer Mike Stidham said.  "It looked like we were going to win it and we got tagged right on the wire.  I'm really proud of her.  She's performed well on a muddy racetrack and has interestingly done well on every surface - turf, Polytrack and dirt.  There for a while I thought grass was her preference, but when she beat La Tia (on the Polytrack) she ran her best Ragozin number - an '8'.  I'm not sure now what her preferred surface is."

The stakes literally get higher as the year progresses for the chestnut 4-year-old filly owned by Haynes Stable, Steven Perlick, Alan Herman and Richard Dunn.  "We are definitely looking at the (Grade III $200,000) Modesty Handicap (on July 12)," Stidham confirmed.  "That seems to be the obvious place to look right now."

While it's known that she can handle the turf of the Modesty - with three stakes placings on the grass, including the Grade III Pucker Up at Arlington last year - the 1 3/16-miles distance is still a small question mark for her connections.  "That's what we have to find out," Stidham said.  "She has run well at a mile and an eighth and this wouldn't be that much farther.  You don't know until you try."

Ground Transport, another locally based stakes performer on June 7 for the Stidham barn, has also returned sound.  On the Belmont Stakes undercard, Ground Transport went off as the 4-1 second choice in the Grade II Brooklyn Invitational, but tired to finish fifth - 15 lengths astern Stuart Janney III's victorious Norumbega.

"He came back okay.  He's always had a lot of feet problems in the past, but he came out of the race in good shape," Stidham said of the colt owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, St. Elias Stable and Get Grounded Stable.  "The race didn't set up to help his (front-running) style.  He got hooked and you can't grab him.  If the jockey does that, he might bolt or resent it.  You almost just have to give him his head and let him pick his comfortable pace.  It's more of an attitude thing.  We'll move on from this and nominate to different spots."