Sea Calisi looking to give owner Schwartz a fourth Beverly D.

Already a major long-term prospect for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) in November, Sea Calisi can further enhance that status Saturday in the $700,000 Beverly D. (G1) at Arlington over 1 3/16 miles on the turf.

A Group 2 winner at three who also placed in the Yorkshire Oaks (G1) and Prix Vermeille (G1) against many of Europe's best, the daughter of Youmzain stamped herself as a star on the rise in her U.S. debut, taking the New York (G2) with comfortable ease over yielding ground. Her luck was not so good in the Sheepshead Bay (G2), where she lacked a clear path attempting to rally up the inside and was out-finished by stablemate Dacita.

Sea Calisi will attempt to give owner Martin Schwartz a fourth victory in the Beverly D., following earlier scores with Angara (2005), Gorella (2006), and Stacelita (2011).

With Euro Charline having paved the way, in 2014, for three-year-old fillies to take up the Beverly D. challenge against their elders, Sea Calisi's main rivals might prove to be a pair of sophomores from the yard of Aidan O'Brien, the aptly named Ballydoyle and Coolmore.

Ballydoyle, a Group 1 winner at two and runner-up to Minding in the 1000 Guineas (G1), had the stronger reputation when both contested last month's Belmont Oaks, but disappointed mightily when trailing the field of 13 as the 2-1 favorite.

Coolmore, who had struggled in Group 1 company previously, fared much better at Belmont, finishing third as a 16-1 chance, though not particularly close to the brilliant filly Catch a Glimpse, who led wire-to-wire.

Among others invading from overseas is Pretty Girl, who will attempt to win a stakes on her third different continent Saturday. Victorious in one of Argentina's leading Group 1 races for fillies and mares in December 2014, the daughter of Harlan's Holiday returned to action this spring in France, placing against stakes company at Chantilly before taking a mile stakes at Vichy last time.

The aforementioned Euro Charline gave Team Valor its first win in the Beverly D., and this time they rely on Tuttipaesi, who landed the Santa Ana (G2) earlier this year and was most recently second to a loose-on-the-lead Zipessa in the Dr. James Penny Memorial (G3) at Parx on July 4. The remainder of the American-based contingent, led by Modesty H. (G3) heroine Faufiler, would prove a major surprise.

(Adam Coglianese Photography)