The Bart Evans-owned and -trained
Wasted Tears will attempt to stretch her speed out to a mile and
three-sixteenths as the 122-pound starting highweight in the Grade III $150,000
Modesty Handicap on Saturday at Arlington Park.
The Modesty serves as the final
local prep for the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D., which will be held Aug. 13 and
is one of three major stakes that comprise the track’s Million Preview Day
program. In addition to the Modesty, the 11-race card includes the Grade II
$200,000 American Derby and the Grade III $150,000 Arlington Handicap. As
an added bonus, the 1-2-3 finishers in the Modesty will have their entry and
starting fees waived for the Beverly D. should they elect to run in that event
next month.
A 6-year-old daughter of Najran,
Wasted Tears has captured the last three editions of the Grade III Ouija Board
at Lone Star
Park, winning this year’s
renewal by five lengths in her most recent start on May 30. A 12-time
winner in 17 starts on turf including the 2010 Grade II John C. Mabee at Del
Mar, she has never run more than a mile and an eighth in her career.
Arriving in Chicago late last
week, Wasted Tears worked three furlongs over the Arlington Park turf course
Wednesday morning, getting the distance in 38 seconds with the dogs placed well
off the inside rail. Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for her most recent
score, retains the mount.
Augustin Stable’s Fantasia comes
into the Modesty off a second-place finish in the Grade I Just a Game Stakes at
Belmont Park
June 11. In two other starts this year, the Jonathan Sheppard-trained
daughter of Sadler’s Wells finished third in the Grade II Distaff Turf Mile at
Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby Day card May 7 and second in the Grade II
Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland in April. Her only North American tally
came in the $100,000 River Memories Stakes at Woodbine last October but she is
a two-time Group III winner in England.
She will carry 120 pounds and be ridden by Rajiv Maragh.
Three horses – Righ Ege &
Team Block’s Askbut I Won’ttell, Moyglare Stud’s Endless Expanse and Magdelena
Racing’s My Baby Baby – will each carry 118 pounds for the Modesty.
The Chris Block-trained Askbut I
Won’ttell is winless in three starts this year but captured Grade III Cardinal
Handicap at Churchill Downs and the Grade III My Charmer Handicap at Calder
Race Course last year. Shaun Bridgmohan, who rode the 5-year-old mare in
those victories, gets the call.
Endless Expanse, trained by
Christophe Clement, is looking for her second stateside victory after winning
her North American debut at Gulfstream
Park in February.
Following that score, the 4-year-old Red Ransom filly ran second in
Gulfstream’s Grade III Orchid Handicap in March and fifth in the Grade III
Bewitch at Keeneland in her most recent start April 28. Corey Nakatani is
named.
My Baby Baby comes into the
Modesty off a come-from-behind tally in the Grade III Mint Julep Handicap at
Churchill Downs June 11. The Ken McPeek-trained 6-year-old mare will be
ridden by Robby Albarado.
Completing the field for the
Modesty (with jockey and weight assignment) are: Tracy Farmer’s La Gran
Bailadora (Corey Lanerie, 116 pounds); Harlequin Ranches’ Oregon
Lady (Jesus Castanon, 116); and Butterfly Stables’ Romin Robin (Jozbin Santana,
115).