by K.T. Donovan

Saturday's $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (G1) will put trainer Mikel Delzangles back at Arlington Park for the first time since the 1996 Arlington Million Stakes (G1) card.

That day, as an assistant trainer to Alain de Royer-Dupre, Delzangles helped saddle Valanour to an eighth-place finish in the Arlington Million.

On Saturday, Delzangles, who has been on his own as a trainer for eight years, will saddle the Marquesa de Moratalla's Group 3-placed Toque de Queda (GB) in the 1 3/16-mile Beverly D. Toque de Queda is one of two French campaigners who have shipped in for the Beverly D., including the Rothschild family's Cicerole (Fr).

Toque de Queda's name in Spanish means "curfew."

Delzangles said Toque de Queda should be ready to prove her mettle in the Beverly D.

“Racing in France is tough, because there are not that many races for fillies, so all the good ones run against each other all the time,” said Delzangles.

Delzangles had thought about bringing the talented Dansili (GB) filly to Arlington for about a year.

“Last year, her form wasn’t good at this time, but I kept thinking about the Beverly D. for her,” Delzangles said. “She prefers firm turf. She lost to Cicerole [finishing third in the Prix Coronation last September at Saint Cloud], but on soft turf.”

Toque de Queda won the Prix Philippe Tassin in June, but finished fourth in the Prix Messidor (Fr-G3) in her previous race on July 19. She had her first view of Arlington Park with a canter on the Polytrack surface under regular exercise rider Camille Saubesty, who kept the four-year-old filly so relaxed that while walking through the paddock she tried to stop to eat the grass.

“She had good action, and she’s traveled well,” Delzangles said. “We know it’s a tough race, but you have to try. Maybe if she does well, we can go to the E.P. Taylor [Stakes (Can-G1)] in Canada next.”

K.T. Donovan is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer