Tuscan Evening won her fifth consecutive graded stakes, and sixth in her last seven starts, in Saturday's Grade 1 Gamely Stakes, which could be considered the finest win of her career.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, Tuscan Evening stalked pacesetter Cat by the Tale, took the lead in early stretch and held off a late run from Forever Together to win by a half-length.
Forever Together was the 2008 champion turf female. While she may not be as effective this year as she was during that season, her form cannot be discounted. She has not been worse than third in eight starts since her championship season, including two major stakes wins.
Tuscan Evening's campaign in the second half of 2010 will be designed to earn that same title. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer has the Beverly D Stakes at Arlington Park on Aug. 21 as a summertime goal. If the turf course is anything close to firm on that day in Chicago, the sort of conditions in which Tuscan Evening thrives, the mare will be very dificult to beat.
She is in the best form of her career.
