Naval Laughter Stands Up in G3 Modesty Stakes; 100th Blackype-Winning Legacy Grad

The July 17 “Arlington Million Preview Day” succeeded in many respects—drawing a big crowd to the track amid perfect weather, rewarding one of the track’s most successful trainers and another working his way up and identifying a likely candidate for the grade 1 races there Aug. 14.

Naval Laughter scored in the $100,000 Modesty Stakes (G3T), handing trainer Chris Davis his first graded-stakes win and earning a nomination to the Beverly D. Stakes (G1T) on “Million” Day. Sold by Legacy Bloodstock at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton July sale, she’s the 100th blacktype winner to graduate from a Legacy consignment.

Jockey Sophie Doyle, a former Arlington regular, kept the 4-year-old Midshipman filly well off the early speed and moved to the lead inside the furlong pole. Despite racing a bit greenly in just her fourth start, she carried on to win by half-length over Joy Epifora.

She was absolutely fantastic,” Doyle said. “She took me right into the race. When I called on her, she showed me more gears than I ever imagined she could have.”

Davis said he would celebrate his first graded stakes win by calling the filly’s owner, Anthony Braddock of Two Heart Farm.

“The best thing about this,” Davis said, “is that she’s a homebred. He owns the mare and there’s a sibling on the ground.”

Naval Laughter is the lone starter of five foals out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare In Stitches. Among her four unraced foals is a yearling colt by Summer Front and foaled a Bernardini colt this year.

Davis said he will consult with the owner, “but I know we’ll be nominating to the Beverly D.”

– edited from www.bloodhorse.com