NEWS

Pure Clan, Black Mamba star in Beverly D.

Posted: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 7:11 PM

PURE CLAN

FourFootedFotos.com

by Mike Curry

The $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes (G1) lured a strong North American contingent featuring Grade 1 winners Pure Clan and Black Mamba (NZ) as well as a talented European-based trio.

The Beverly D. is one of three Grade 1 races on Saturday’s card at Arlington Park, which also includes the Arlington Million (G1) and Secretariat (G1) Stakes. The Beverly D. winner will be given an automatic starting spot in the Emirates Airline Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on November 6 at Santa Anita Park as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win and You’re In” series.

Pure Clan will attempt to become the first horse to sweep Arlington’s Modesty Handicap (G3) and Beverly D. in the same season. The four-year-old Pure Prize filly powered to a 2 1/2-length romp on July 11 in the Modesty, which is the same distance as the Beverly D. at 1 3/16 miles.

Trained by Bob Holthus for owner Lewis Lakin, Pure Clan has amassed seven wins, three seconds, and two thirds from 13 career starts, including a victory in the 2008 American Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1) at Hollywood Park. Her only career unplaced finish came in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, when she finished tenth but was placed ninth. Pure Clan is the 3-to-1 morning-line favorite for the Beverly D.

Black Mamba, the 7-to-2 second choice on the morning line, won the John C. Mabee Handicap (G1) last year and signaled her readiness for Saturday’s international challenge with a victory in the Beverly Hills Handicap (G2) in her previous start on June 28.

A six-year-old Black Minnaloushe mare trained by John Sadler, Black Mamba has won five of 26 career starts.

Shipping in from Europe for the race are French Group 3 winners Alnadana and Denomination as well as Irish classic-placed group stakes winner Mad About You.

Like Pure Clan, Mad About You also has been very consistent in her career. The three-year-old Smart Strike filly has earned three wins, four seconds, and four thirds from 13 starts.

Trained by Dermot Weld for owner-breeder Moyglare Stud Farm, Mad About You finished second in the 2008 Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1) and won this year’s Bruce Betting Newbridge Gladness Stakes (Ire-G3). She enters off a third-place finish against males in the Keeneland Minstrel Stakes (Ire-G3) on July 11 at the Curragh.

The Aga Khan’s homebred Alnadana enters off a three-length victory in the Prix Messidor (Fr-G3) on July 18 at Maisons-Laffitte. Denomination won a Group 3 race in April at Longchamp and enters off a third-place finish, beaten by a neck, in the Prix Chloe (Fr-G3) on July 5 at Chantilly.

Other Beverly D. contenders include Grade 2 winner Tizaqueena, second in the Modesty in her previous start; Points of Grace, a dominant winner of the Dance Smartly Stakes (Can-G2) on July 11 at Woodbine; and 2008 Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Dynaforce.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor

Beverly D. S.

For Equibase entries of Saturday's Arlington card, click here.