Beverly D. S.

With a strong drive in the stretch, Dacita managed to prevail against a tough field in the Grade 1, $600,000 Beverly D. Stakes on Saturday at Arlington.

Dona Bruja and Grand Jete finished in a dead heat for second.

In the 1 3/16-mile race at the Arlington International Racing Festival, Dacita and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. settled near the back of the field of 10 females, while Zipessa led through the early stages. With a wide-closing effort into the stretch, Dacita was able to run by a fellow closer Dona Bruja and Grand Jete to score by a half-length.

Sheep Pond Partners’ and Bradley Thoroughbreds’ 6-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy picked up her second top-level win in the U.S. The victory was trainer Chad Brown’s fourth Beverly D. score and his third consecutive following Watsdachances in 2015 and Sea Calisi last year.

The victory earned Dacita a guaranteed spot in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The Beverly D. is part of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

In Saturday’s outing, Zipessa took the field through the first three-quarters of a mile, clocking fractions of :23.84, :49.34, and 1:14.81. Approaching the final turn, jockey Declan Cannon asked 2.30-1 favorite Dona Bruja to accelerate. The Argentine-bred mare, who won her first two races in the U.S., went three wide and had a brief advantage in early stretch.

Dacita, who traveled four wide around the turn, closed with a powerful rush and was able to catch Dona Bruja and hold off a closing Grand Jete, who also is trained by Brown.

The final time was 1:55.49 on the firm turf.

Rainha Da Bateria, Brown’s third entrant, was fourth.

Off at 6-1, the winner returned $15.80, $5.20, and $4.40 across the board.

Bred by Haras Paso Nevado in Chile, Dacita was a multiple Group 1 winner in her native country before coming to the U.S. in 2015.

Since then she’s run in nine graded stakes in North America, and has only finished out of the top two three times. Last year, she took the Grade 2 New York Stakes and then nipped Recepta to win the Grade 1 Diana Stakes.—Erin Shea