Kathryn Crosby Preview: Ellie Arroway Steps Up

DEL MAR, CA – Hronis Racing’s Ellie Arroway steps up to face stakes rivals for the first time in Saturday’s $75,000 Kathryn Crosby Stakes at Del Mar.

The Kathryn Crosby is a 1-mile turf route restricted to fillies and mares 3 and up that have not won a stakes other than state-bred. This year’s edition is the 7th event on a 9-race card and has a local post time of 6:30 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Kathryn Crosby:

1. Ellie Arroway 8/1 – She earned a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure for finishing a narrow third over this course and distance against optional claiming company. The winner of that race, Raymundos Secret, returned to take the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2) in her next start, and this John Sadler trainee has steadily improved upon her Beyers in every turf route.

2. Never Be Enough 5/1 – She returns to the Del Mar turf after winning back-to-back mile-long allowances on the Golden Gate Fields synthetic surface. The British-bred 5-year-old mare won 3 overseas races in 2019 at distances ranging from 1 to 2 miles and was a close fourth in a 1 3/8-mile optional claiming event in her lone prior try on the local lawn.

3. Proud Emma 8/1 – She returns to the turf for the second time after throwing a fit in the Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2) last November and never contending. She finished in a dead heat with Message in August’s Tranquility Lake Stakes, a mile-long event over the Del Mar dirt, and her sire Include’s progeny have earned over $5.8 million in turf routes.

4. She’s Our Charm 5/1 – The speedy and pricey ($600k yearling) 4-year-old filly has taken the field gate to wire in 3 of her past 6 starts, all mile-long turf routes at Del Mar and Santa Anita Park. She’s earned career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figures in each of her past 2 starts and will have Juan Hernandez aboard for the third straight time.

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5. Muchly 5/1 – The British-bred filly nearly won her American stakes debut in the Swingtime last time out, fighting gamely to finish second by just 3/4 of a length. She made her first 9 career starts overseas, then won her fifth start stateside in a 1 1/16-mile optional claiming event over this course and reunites with her jockey that day, Umberto Rispoli.

6. Cordiality 7/2 – She returns to Del Mar looking for her third victory of the year, a mark that includes winning the Osunitas Stakes over this course and distance in July and the Swingtime last time out. She does her best running on the front end and will try to take them gate to wire under Drayden Van Dyke for the second straight start.

7. Qahira 5/1 – She gives turf a try for the first time for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who only has a 7% success rate when his runners make similar surface changes. She won 3 straight before suffering a narrow 3/4-length defeat in the Chillingworth Stakes (G3) and reunites with Abel Cedillo, who was aboard for her most recent victory.

8. Colonial Creed 4/1 – She returns to Del Mar for the first time since breaking her maiden over this course and distance in November 2018 and exits a hard-fought third in the Swingtime, her first start in nearly six months. Expect improvement here; trainer Richard Baltas has a 22% strike rate with horses making their second starts back after similar layoffs.

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