Hotshot Anna to Defend in Chicago Handicap

Local runners face off against rivals from down the interstate June 29 in the Chicago Handicap (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for fillies and mares over the Arlington International Racecourse all-weather course.

Four of the nine entries are trained at Arlington. The others travel up I-65 from Kentucky and Indiana.

Chief among the locals is Hotshot Anna, a 5-year-old Trappe Shot  mare owned and trained by Hugh Robertson. She won this race by 5 3/4 lengths last year after winning an allowance optional claiming race over the now grade 1-placed Escape Clause, and she has won both starts since then by a combined eight lengths. The downside: She hasn't run since taking the Sept. 17 Presque Isle Downs Masters Stakes (G2).

The other local hopefuls are Student Body, a 5-year-old Colonel John mare; Babybluesbdancing, a 5-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa ; and My Mertie, a 7-year-old Magna Graduate  mare. The latter two are Illinois-breds.

Student Body, trained by Chris Davis, won twice at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots during the winter, once on the turf and once on the main track, then struggled home a fading ninth in the April 13 Giant's Causeway Stakes at Keeneland.

Babybluesbdancing hasn't won in nearly 13 months and was sixth in the 2018 Chicago Handicap. And My Mertie will need a dramatic turnaround while returning to a track that has been kind to her.

Among the invaders, Heavenly Hill has raced successfully on the Arlington and Turfway Park all-weather surfaces, with four wins and four seconds from 10 starts. Always Believe has a win and a second on the all-weather at Turfway Park. The other three—Excessive Spending, Tough Irma, and Annathela—have only one start among them on synthetic tracks and no wins.

Entries: Chicago H. (G3)

Arlington International Racecourse, Saturday, June 29, 2019, Race 8

• Grade III
• 7f
• All Weather Track
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 5:15 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Student Body (KY)	Sophie Doyle	117	Christopher Davis	4/1
2	2My Mertie (IL)	Carlos H. Marquez, Jr.	118	Michele Boyce	15/1
3	3Hotshot Anna (KY)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	123	Hugh H. Robertson	5/2
4	4Heavenly Hill (KY)	Ty Kennedy	115	Chris A. Hartman	5/1
5	5Tough Irma (FL)	Jermaine V. Bridgmohan	114	Cipriano Contreras	12/1
6	6Excessivespending (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	119	Chris A. Hartman	9/2
7	7Always Believe (KY)	Pedro L. Cotto, Jr.	115	Michael E. Lauer	10/1
8	8Annathela (KY)	Edgar Perez	117	George R. Arnold, II	8/1
9	9Babybluesbdancing (IL)	Julio E. Felix	115	James M. Gulick	20/1