By Alan Carasso
Though the day's main event will follow, Saturday's GI Beverly D. S. shapes in many ways as the race of the meeting, with horses already proven at Grade I level facing some more unexposed types who look to have major upside.
Dona Brjuja (Arg) (Storm Embrujado {Arg}) won eight of her 10 starts at San Isidro in Buenos Aires, including a Group 1 going the metric mile and a quarter, but it was still a bit difficult to gauge exactly how talented she was when she entered the gate as an 11-2 chance for Churchill Downs's GIII Mint Julep H. June 10. She announced her arrival on these shores with a smooth 1 1/2-length success for jockey Declan Cannon and was on trial for this in the GIII Modesty S. over course and distance July 8. Given a supremely confident ride from second-last behind no pace whatsoever, Dona Bruja shaded 17 seconds for her final furlong and a half en route to a one-length defeat of Prado's Sweet Ride (Fort Prado). The waters are obviously deeper, but she may be equal to the task and she could very well drift up from her morning line of 7-2.
Chad Brown has won the last two runnings of the Beverly D. and three overall, and sends out three chances Saturday. Though clearly the less accomplished of the duo, Grand Jete (GB) (Dansili {GB}) has not set a foot wrong in three starts on these shores, showing a devastating turn of speed to win the GIII Eatontown S. at Monmouth and a July 14 Belmont allowance. Dacita (Chi) (Scat Daddy) won the GI Diana S. last summer, but has found the Arnaud Delacour-trained Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) too tough in their last two meetings in the GIII Beaugay S. in May and again in the GII New York S. the following month. Rainha Da Bateria (Broken Vow) dead-heated for the win last time in the GII Dance Smartly S. at Woodbine July 2, but must show she can mix it at Grade I level.
While Hawksmoor landed last year's G2 German 1000 Guineas, Gestut Fahrhof's Sarandia (Ger) (Dansili {GB}) was narrowly runner-up in the G1 German Oaks and ran her rivals into the ground when strolling home an impressive winner of the Hamburger Stuten-Cup last time (video). She is one of two in the race for her sire, who supplied 2013 winner Dank (GB), and whose half-sister Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert) annexed the 2003 renewal.
Aidan O'Brien has never saddled a Beverly D. winner and relies here on 3-year-old Rain Goddess (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), runner-up in the G1 Pretty Polly S. and to Enable (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Darley Irish Oaks (video).
The Beverly D. offers the winner a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar.
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