Arnold: Centre Court 'still has room for improvement'

Marketing Mix won last year's Grade 2 Mrs. Revere at Churchill Downs after

finishing second in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland,

and Centre Court will try to follow in her footsteps in Saturday night's 1

1/16-mile event for three-year-old fillies.

"It worked out well last year," said Rusty Arnold, who conditions Centre

Court. "We were very happy with her in the QEII (after finishing second to

Dayatthespa). I wouldn't have traded spots with anyone at the quarter-pole."

Centre Court scored her first graded victory in the Grade 3 Regret at

Churchill Downs in the spring and immediately up that victory with a win in

Saratoga's Grade 2 Lake George. After finishing second in the Grade 2 Lake

Placid at the Spa, the dark bay lass was given a break to prepare for her first

try against Grade 1 company.

"We gave her two races at Saratoga and wanted to have her at 100 percent for

the Queen Elizabeth," Arnold said. "It's a Grade 1 and at our home track. I

think we had her as good as she could be for that race. She still has room for

improvement. She's only a three-year-old."

The daughter of Smart Strike made her career debut at Churchill Downs and

finished fifth in a maiden special on the main track. Since then, Centre Court

has remained on the turf and has yet to be worse than second on the grass in

seven starts.

"The good ones like that are few and far between," Arnold said. "You don't

find ones like her often that show that kind of consistency. She's run well at

Churchill, Gulfstream, Keeneland and Saratoga and really has never run a bad

race. It's a combination of talent and the will to do it."

Arnold said the Mrs. Revere is far from an easy race for the G. Watts

Humphrey Jr. homebred, who is the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

"It's an extremely competitive race," Arnold admitted. "It's the last chance

to face three-year-old fillies, so everyone with a good three-year-old is going

to take a shot. (Michael) Matz has two good fillies in the race (Somali Lemonade

and Colonial Flag), Todd (Pletcher's) filly (Peace Preserver) is improving and

Chris Block's filly (Leading Astray) hasn't done anything wrong."

The Mrs. Revere will be the final race of Centre Court's sophomore campaign.

She will be given the winter off and then be pointed to the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley

at Keeneland in April.

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