Winning Envelope must catch breather while stretching out

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Owner Bob Lothenbach and trainer Chris Block won the 2017 Arlington-Washington Lassie with Bet She Wins, who rolled home from the back of the pack and scored by more than eight lengths. They have a strong chance to win the Lassie again Saturday, but their chance this year, Winning Envelope, is a different kind of horse.

Winning Envelope already had backstretch buzz when she debuted Aug. 11 on the Arlington Million card. She broke like a rocket, controlled the pace, dashed away from the competition when let briefly loose at the quarter pole, then was kept under wraps to the wire by jockey Carlos Marquez Jr. She won by six lengths, got a 77 Beyer Speed Figure, and was quickly purchased privately by Lothenbach and moved from trainer Justin Johns into the Block barn.

Winning Envelope has plenty of speed. The question is how she can ration it if challenged for the lead while stretching out from 5 1/2 furlongs to seven furlongs in the Lassie. Block said last week he has seen signs during morning training that Winning Envelope has an off switch, and in her final Lassie work on Sept. 1, she went a halfmile in 50 seconds – a modest time that was a good sign. Winning Envelope finished off her shorter sprint like she can get Saturday’s distance.

Marquez, who leads the meet with five stakes wins, worked the filly and knows her well. The pair is drawn in post 4, outside pace rivals Craft Show and Thunderous Gem.

Meadow Dance will be her main rival – if she handles Arlington’s synthetic surface. Trained by Brad Cox, Meadow Dance debuted on dirt Aug. 19 at Ellis Park and really caught the eye. Stuck behind horses much of her race, the daughter of Jimmy Creed flashed home impressively once clear in the homestretch to win by three lengths.

“Jimmy Creed handled synthetic, so I hope she will,” said Cox, who gives the mount to leading rider Jose Valdivia Jr. “She’ll need to improve this race, but she had a fantastic work last weekend.”

Thunderous Gem debuted for Johns and owner Krystle Holsapple just six days after Winning Envelope and won her maiden race by an even wider margin. She failed to change leads while racing on the front end, and Hutch Holsapple, who bought both fillies on the cheap last winter at Keeneland, said after Thunderous Gem’s win that her raw talent wasn’t a match for Winning Envelope’s.

Into Trouble won well enough first out at Ellis Park but drew the rail for Saturday, while Craft Show, a sharp Arlington debut winner, is drawn inside the race’s other speed.

‘Demon’ has chance at upset

Big Drink of Water will be a little price in the $75,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity and is worth opposing as he stretches out from 5 1/2 to seven furlongs while making his first start since a private purchase.

Big Drink of Water has raced three times, winning a 4 1/2-furlong Woodbine maiden race in his second start and the $102,000 Victoria Stakes there by 2 3/4 lengths in his second. Big Drink of Water got an 81 Beyer out of the Victoria and was purchased by Vince Foglia’s Patricia’s Hope LLC and turned over to trainer Larry Rivelli.

“Up to this point, we’ve been very happy with the purchase,” said Rivelli. “We kind of bought him for this race.”

Big Drink of Water has posted several sharp works for the Futurity, and Rivelli, without hesitating, said his horse would be sent to the lead Saturday. How long he can stay there is worth considering at the price. There is little stamina in Big Drink of Water’s female family, and his quickness at 4 1/2 furlongs hints at a precocious horse who might be vulnerable even in long sprints.

Hide the Demon won his debut Aug. 11 at Arlington, pressing the pace and drawing away to score by almost four lengths. What he did after that race – both his gallop-out and subsequent works – are at least as encouraging as the start itself.

Hide the Demon worked a fast half-mile Aug. 19 and came back 10 days later with a sixfurlong drill in 1:10.40, as fast as horses work at Arlington.

“I never had a horse work like that,” said trainer Mike Campbell. “He was breezing, and he galloped out good, too. I ran him 85 percent fit first time.”

Distant Shore beat little but did catch the eye when debuting with an easy dirt win at Indiana Grand. Knicks Go was green in his debut score at Ellis Park, then broke a bit slowly and never got involved in the Grade 3 Sanford on July 21 at Saratoga.