Beverly D. S

A total of 429 graded stakes races--down from 440 in 2023--and four fewer top-level events will be contested in 2024, the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association announced following its two-day grading session Dec. 14 and 15. The Committee reviewed 970 overall with purses of at least $75,000 and also assigned listed status to a further 213 races. Some 10 races were upgraded from their previous status--one new Grade I and nine Grade Iis. Four new Grade III events were also listed. Fourteen new listed...

Cataloged as hip 223 as part of Case Clay Thoroughbred Management draft, Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}) was hammered down to Pursuit of Success/Bryan Prentice for $1.65 million as the opening session of the Keeneland November Sale began to wind down. In six years at the races, Dalika made 32 trips to the races, good for 10 victories, seven of which came at the stakes level, including a track record-setting performance in the 2022 GI Beverly D. S. where she covered nine furlongs on the turf in 1:46.31. Her other graded...

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL--Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), who overcame a troubled trip to win the GI Belmont Oaks in her last trip to the races, had no such difficulties this time around, as she was produced in upper stretch and rolled home to post an easy three-length victory in Saturday's GI Beverly D. S. In joining Euro Charline (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) as the only 3-year-olds to best their elders in the 9 1/2-furlong test, Santa Barbara was--remarkably--providing trainer Aidan O'Brien his first win in the race. Mean Mary (Scat Daddy),...

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL--For all leading trainer Graham Motion has accomplished in an illustrious career, missing from his resume is a victory in any of Chicago's Grade I events. Alex Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary (Scat Daddy) will try to right that wrong as the 9-5 morning-line selection for Saturday's GI Beverly D. S., the first of the afternoon's top-level tests. A treble graded winner in 2020, the homebred was just run down by champion Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in the GI Diana S. last August and weakened to seventh at...