Pucker Up Stakes Lures Lovely Bernadette

Lovely Bernadette has been made the morning line favorite for Saturday’s Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington Park (photo via twitter.com/KentuckyDerby).

A Grade III event for fillies, Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile Pucker Up Stakes at Arlintyon Park features 12 evenly-matched entrants.

The morning line favorite is Lovely Bernadette for trainer James DiVito.  At 7-2, she’s certainly a contender, but those looking for a price to end the day may decide on Sensitive.

This high-priced filly will be running for the second time off a layoff for trainer Brad Cox and Irad Ortiz Jr. will undoubtedly give her a perfect ride.  She’s 12-1 on the morning line, but would be an overlay at half that price.

Matt Hess

Matt Hess, aka “Meathouse,” is an attorney in the Chicagoland area who spends an unhealthy amount of his free time handicapping sports and horse racing in particular. Originally from the South side of Chicago, he is a die-hard White Sox fan whose second-favorite baseball team is whoever is playing the Cubs on a given day.

Matt is a proud alum of the University of Illinois who passionately follows both the Bears and Blackhawks and, in addition to horse racing, specializes in handicapping the NFL and MLB. You can reach him at [email protected], and follow him on Twitter @MeathouseBets.