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Arlington Oaks too close to call

With six of the seven sophomore fillies entered in Saturday’s Grade III Arlington Oaks listed owning morning-line odds of 6-1 or less, it’s safe to say the $150,000 race over 9 furlongs figures to be a contentious affair.

Slight favoritism in the wide-open race goes to Seaneen Girl (5-2). The Bernie Flint trainee is a graded stakes winner having captured November’s Grade II Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. Leandro Goncalves has been named to ride, and the pair will leave from the rail.

Bold Kitten, trained by Wayne Catalano, last appeared when beating Illinois-restricted company in the $100,000 Purple Violet Stakes at a mile at Arlington. Leaving from the outside post, she will be ridden by Florent Geroux.

Another Illinois-foaled filly, My Option, also is using the Purple Violet as a steppingstone to the Oaks. The Chris Block-trained daughter of Belong to Me was just a half-length behind Bold Kitten in the June 1 race. Eduardo Perez gets the call.

Invading from Kentucky for Saturday’s headliner is Sky Girl. The Paul McGee-trained daughter Sky Mesa carries a two-race win skein into the Oaks, with her most recent score being in a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs over a sloppy racetrack. Corey Lanerie will ride.

Others entered in the Oaks: Frivolous (Francisco Torres), a recent Churchill Downs maiden winner; Mary Bernice (Ronnie Allen Jr), who broke her maiden last out at Presque Isle Downs on July 2; and Gold Edge (Channing Hill), winless this year but a graded stakes victress over this course as a 2-year-old when taking the Grade III Arlington-Washington Lassie.

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