Fev Rover, Gina Romantica Lead Beverly D.

For top contenders like Fev Rover  and Gina Romantica  in the Aug. 12 Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) at Colonial Downs, proficiency over the local turf course has yet to be determined. The meet is only a few weeks in, meaning all of the runners had their most recent races elsewhere, and for grade 1-caliber turf horses, the Virginia track was not a typical destination in previous years. For the first time, Colonial is running the traditional Arlington Million Day stakes inherited from the demolished CDI sister track Arlington International Racecourse and run at Churchill Downs in 2022. 

The Beverly D. field became more competitive but considerably less accomplished Friday after the presumptive scratches of Didia , one of only two entrants with past Colonial experience, and Rocky Sky , who ran second in a Friday allowance at Saratoga Race Course. The $500,000 race will now be contested by five older fillies and mares. The Didia scratch was first reported Friday evening by Daily Racing Form. 

Besides the rich purse on the line, up for grabs is more opportunity. The Beverly D. is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In, providing an automatic paid berth into the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) Nov. 4 at Santa Anita Park.

Gina Romantica is the only grade 1 winner remaining in the field. Last fall she won the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland at age 3. The Peter Brant-owned filly ran fourth in the June 17 Eatontown Stakes (G3T) at Monmouth Park in her lone start of 2023 for trainer Chad Brown.

Gina Romantica stretches out in distance to race 1 3/16 miles in the Beverly D. with Flavien Prat aboard the filly by Into Mischief  .

Brown is a six-time winner of the Beverly D., dominating it over its final decade as a longtime Arlington International Racecourse stakes race. Churchill Downs Inc. sold Arlington in 2021 to the Chicago Bears of the National Football League and staged the race last summer at Churchill Downs. This year, CDI opted to move the Beverly D. and two other major Arlington races, the Arlington Million (G1T) and Secretariat Stakes (G2T), to Colonial, which CDI bought last fall. 

Fev Rover  has not yet captured a group or grade 1 but illustrated her top-level legitimacy with a close third behind Whitebeam  and In Italian  in the Diana Stakes (G1T) last month at Saratoga Race Course. She has won group/grade 2s in Canada and France and was third in the 2021 One Thousand Guineas (G1) in Great Britain.

After her import from Europe, the daughter of Gutaifan  is 2-1-2 in five starts in North America in 2022-23 for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. Javier Castellano rides.

Only Jan's Girl , the longest shot on the morning line, boasts a try over the Colonial lawn. She won a second-level allowance on opening weekend, less than two months after breaking her maiden in her ninth start.

Other entries include Mise En Scene , a recent second-level allowance optional claiming winner, and Romagna Mia , a group 2 winner in Italy who ran fourth in a minor French stakes race last out. Mise En Scene was a group 3 winner earlier in her career.