US Racing Weekend Race Recaps

Indiana General Assembly Distaff at Indiana Grand Race Course

9-Lovely Loyree overtook the pacesetter, 8-Haichi, to win the Indiana General Assembly Distaff at Indiana Grand on Saturday (photo by Tom Ferry).

9-Lovely Loyree overtook the pacesetter, 8-Haichi, to win the Indiana General Assembly Distaff at Indiana Grand on Saturday (photo by Tom Ferry).

After sitting in second-place throughout the majority of the race, 9-LOVELY LOYREE overtook the pacesetter, 8-HAICHI, in mid-stretch to score by a hard-fought neck in the Indiana General Assembly Distaff at Indiana Grand on Saturday. Sent off at 6-1 odds, the Michele Boyce trainee scored her second victory in the listed race — she also won in 2016.

The 7-year-old daughter of Cactus Ridge, who visited the winner’s circle for the eighth time in her 22-race career, paid $14.00 to win, $7.20 to place and $4.80 to show. Hachi, who hit the board for the first time since arriving in the United States from Chile, returned $13.80 and $7.80, while 3-KYLLACHY QUEEN paid $4.80.

The $2 exacta (9-8) was worth $229.20, the 50-cent trifecta (9-8-3) paid $363.45 and the 10-cent superfecta (9-8-3-6) was good for $189.13.

The 6-5 favorite, 4-LOVELY BERNADETTE, who was coming off a win in the Mint Julep Handicap (G3) at Churchill Downs, finished sixth of eight in a dull effort.

Indiana Oaks (G3) at Indiana Grand Race Course

Talk Veuve to Me justified her 1-9 odds with an easy win in the Indiana Oaks (G3) at Indiana Grand (photo by Tom Ferry).

Talk Veuve to Me justified her 1-9 odds with an easy win in the Indiana Oaks (G3) at Indiana Grand on Saturday (photo by Tom Ferry).

In a race that had about much drama as Spectacular Bid’s final start, 5-TALK VEUVE TO ME took command on the far turn and quickly drew clear before being taken in hand late to win the Indiana Oaks (G3) by “only” 4 ¾ lengths at Indiana Grand Race Course on Saturday.

Although it was the 3-year-old filly’s first win since she broke her maiden by 11 ¼ lengths at Fair Grounds on March 25, she was sent off at 1-9 odds on Saturday on the strength of strong, runner-up performances in both the Eight Belles Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs and the Acorn Stakes (G1) at Belmont.

“She showed what I was expecting her to show,” said trainer Rodolphe Brisset. “It was maybe a little quicker than what I was thinking on paper. But she took the lead pretty easy. You could see that she was looking around a lot, just went to the wire cruising.”

8-FIGARELLA’S QUEEN rallied from sixth after the opening quarter-mile to easily finish second, 6 ¾ lengths ahead of 6-KELLY’S HUMOR, who was a head in front of 7-SKEPTIC in third.

Talk Veuve to Me returned $2.20 to win, $2.10 to place and $2.10 to show; Figarella’s Queen paid $4.60 and $3.00; Kelly’s Humor was good for $2.40.

The $2 exacta (5-8) was worth $11.40, the 50-cent trifecta (5-8-6) paid $7.05 and the 10-cent superfecta (5-8-6-7) was worth a gallon of milk, or $3.53.

Indiana Derby (G3) at Indiana Grand Race Course

Axelrod gets up in time to win the Indiana Derby (G3) at Indiana Grand on Saturday (photo by Tom Ferry).

Axelrod gets up in time to score an upset victory in the Indiana Derby (G3) at Indiana Grand Race Course on Saturday (photo by Tom Ferry).

After leading or pressing the pace — never more than a length back at the first call — in each of his last six starts, new jockey Florent Geroux took 6-AXELROD to the back of the pack early before uncorking a potent late run that netted the 3-year-old colt his first stakes win in the Indiana Derby (G3) on Saturday at Indiana Grand.

“There was a lot of speed in the race and it’s just how the race unfolded,” said Geroux about the change of tactics on Axelrod. “I didn’t feel like being between horses. That’s just how it is sometimes. When I began to move him in the turn, his heart started getting bigger and bigger. I just felt confident right about the three-eighths pole. Before then, not so much. That was close at the end. I mean, I’m not sure [about catching Trigger Warning]. But the last two jumps, my horse just kept running on.”

1-TRIGGER WARNING, coming off a career-best effort in the Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown — where he finished third, beaten a single length — just missed again, but did hold onto second by a length and a half over 7-TITLE READY. It was another 1 ¼ lengths back to the 8-5 race favorite 8-KING ZACHARY.

Dismissed at 12-1 in the wagering, Axelrod paid $26.80 to win, $9.80 to place and $6.60 to show. Trigger Warning, who was 6-1, returned $6.80 and $4.80, while Title Ready paid $4.80 as the 4-1 third choice in the betting.

The $2 exacta (6-1) was worth $226.60, the 50-cent trifecta (6-1-7) paid $282.55 and the 10-cent superfecta (6-1-7-8) was good for $151.55.

The 50-cent all-stakes pick-4 returned $445.30.

American Derby (G3) at Arlington Park

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Real Story (photo by Steve Heurtez).

In the American Derby (G3), a 1 1/8-mile turf affair for three-year-olds, run at Arlington Park on Saturday, 7-REAL STORY sprinted clear early and widened his lead through six furlongs in 1:11.45 and a mile in 1:35.46, before traversing the final furlong in a quick 12.15 seconds to hold off a fast-closing 6-CAPTIVATING MOON by 1 ¾ lengths. 4-DUBBY DUBBIE was another neck back in third.

Real Story’s final time was just a fifth of a second off the course record set by Mr. Leader on July 4, 1970, and last tied by World Class Splash on July 11, 1992.

The son of Fast Bullet, who visited the winner’s circle for the third time in his six-race career, paid $16.80 to win, $6.60 to place and $4.40 to show. Captivating Moon returned $3.00 and $2.20 and Dubby Dubbie paid $3.60.

The $1 exacta (7-6) was worth $25.10, the 50-cent trifecta (7-6-4) paid $48.50 and the 10-cent superfecta (7-6-4-3) was good for $51.35.

Arlington Handicap (G3) at Arlington Park

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Divisidero (photo by Tom Ferry).

Winless in five starts since capturing the Turf Classic (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2017, 11-DIVISIDERO uncorked a potent late kick to win the Arlington Handicap (G3) at Arlington Park on Saturday by a half-length, despite bobbling at the start.

The Kelly Rubley trainee held 10-REVVED UP and safe in the drive, as the top three all maintained their positions in the final furlong. 3-SYNCHRONY, the even-odds favorite, checked in third.

Divisidero paid $7.00 to win, a healthy $5.00 to place and $3.00 to show as the second choice in the betting. Revved Up was 14-1 and returned $10.20 to place and $5.00 to show, while Synchrony was worth $2.40.

The $1 exacta (11-10) returned $38.30, the 50-cent trifecta (11-10-3) paid $43.80 and the 10-cent superfecta (11-10-3-6) was good for $88.62.

Modesty Handicap (G3) at Arlington Park

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Daddys Lil Darling (photo by Steve Heurtez).

After being 27 lengths off the pace after a half-mile in her last start, 13-DADDYS LIL DARLING was just 1 ½ length in arrears at the same point in the Modesty Handicap (G3) on Saturday at Arlington Park — and the change in tactics worked, as the daughter of Scat Daddy recorded an easy 2 ¼-length win under new jockey Brian Hernandez, who replaced Mike Smith.

What’s more, the Ken McPeek trainee stopped the clock in 1:53.80 for 1 3/16 miles on the turf — which was more than a fifth of a second faster than Divisidero went in the Arlington Handicap at the same distance.

Sent off as the 9-5 favorite, Daddys Lil Darling paid $5.80 to win, $3.40 to place and $2.80 to show. 9-PRADO’S SWEET RIDE, at nearly 12-1, paid $9.80 to place and $6.40 to show, while 6-HALLIE BELLE returned $4.20.

The $1 exacta (13-9) returned $26.70, the 50-cent trifecta (13-9-6) paid $77.70 and the 10-cent superfecta (13-9-6-12) was good for $125.93.

Stars & Stripes Stakes (G3) at Arlington Park

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Catcho En Die (photo by Tom Ferry).

2-CATCHO EN DIE showed that a slight dip in class is all that he needed to return to the winner’s circle. After being claimed for $40,000 by Naipaul Chatterpaul and Sotirios Sakatison April 21 at Aqueduct, the Argentina-bred gelding was entered in the Man o’ War and Manhattan — both Grade 1 stakes run at Belmont Park.

Although he finished off the board in those contests, Catcho En Die was beaten by a total of just 6 ¼ lengths. So, Saturday’s Grade III Stars & Stripes Stakes at Arlington Park looked like the perfect spot — and it was, as the 6-year-old son of Catcher in Rye went right to the front and never looked back, repelling challenges from 9-CANESSAR and 1-SOGLIO in the final furlong of the 1 ½-mile affair to win by a neck.

Catcho En Die paid $19.20 to win, $8.20 to place and $6.20 to show. Canessar returned $4.40 and $4.00, while Soglio was good for $5.40.

The $1 exacta (2-9) returned $50.00, the 50-cent trifecta (2-9-1) paid $206.40 and the 10-cent superfecta (2-9-1-4) checked in at $136.64.

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