Saturday, August 18 2012
JAMES GRAHAM LEADS “ARLINGTON FAB FIVE” TO VICTORY OVER “LEGENDS” IN JOCKEY CHALLENGE AT ARL
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Aug. 17, 2012) – The “Arlington Fab Five” beat the “Legends Team” in the third annual special Jockey Challenge Race on Friday at Arlington Park. Led by James Graham, who won the race aboard Jake Wil Gallop, the Fab Five outscored the Legends by a count of 23-16 based on a 12-10-7-6-4 point system.
“It’s brilliant,” said Graham, who has ridden in all three editions of the special race. “More tracks should do things like this, especially with the proceeds going to great causes (the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America.
International Festival Barn Notes: Friday, Aug. 17 - PM Edition
GAME BALL OUT OF AMERICAN ST. LEGER; IN PLAY AT SARATOGA
Dorothy Gentner’s Game Ball, entered in Saturday’s inaugural running of the $400,000 American St. Leger as part of Arlington’s one-day International Festival of Racing, did not ship to Chicago and is entered in Saratoga’s Grade I Sword Dancer Invitational on the same day.
Trained by Naipaul Chatterpaul, Game Ball had been dismissed as one of four 30-1 long shots in the American St. Leger.
International Festival Barn Notes: Friday, August 17, 2012 - AM Edition
DOMESTIC SHIPPERS ARRIVE FOR INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF RACING
Domestic shippers arrive for International Festival of Racing. They came, they’re seeing, will they conquer?
Domestic shippers from the barns of Dale Romans, Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey, H. Graham Motion, and Dale Romans arrived in good order on Thursday ahead of their starts in the International Festival of Racing on Saturday at Arlington Park.
Tuesday, August 14 2012
International Festival Barn Notes: Tues., Aug. 14 - PM Edition
STIDHAM SEEKS ELUSIVE MILLION DAY GRADE I
Mike Stidham has won some big races during his career, including nine graded stakes among 22 stakes wins at Arlington Park, but the track’s Grade I races have eluded the veteran trainer.
Stidham hopes to remedy that situation on Saturday when he sends Lael Stable & All In Stable’s Willcox Inn and Stone Farm et. al.’s Upperline postward in the Arlington Million and Beverly D. Stakes, respectively.
International Festival Barn NOtes: Tues. Aug. 14 - AM Edition
DARK STRANGER LAME SATURDAY; REMOVED FROM FLIGHT MANIFEST
Darley Stud Management’s Dark Stranger, one of six European invaders scheduled aboard a Qatar Airways equine charter in advance of Arlington’s International Festival of Racing this Saturday, came up lame last Saturday morning while still in Europe and was taken off that flight manifest shortly before that plane’s departure.
Trained by John Gosden, the European-based but Kentucky-bred Dark Stranger had been scheduled for participation in Saturday’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes for grass-favoring sophomores of international caliber.
International Festival of Racing Barn Notes: MOn. Aug. 13, PM Edition
VERTIFORMER, ‘CHEROKEE’ GET ARLINGTON MILLION BREEZES MONDAY
Joseph Allen’s Vertiformer, pre-entered last week for both the 30th anniversary edition of the Arlington Million and the inaugural running of the $400,000 American St. Leger this Saturday, breezed five furlongs in 1:06.80 Monday morning over Arlington’s world famous turf course.
Jockey Jeffrey Sanchez, who is riding at Arlington for the first time this summer but is a solid fifth in the standings, was aboard Vertiformer for the move over the grass course which was rated “good” with the “dogs” well out from the rail.
FIVE RETIRED JOCKEYS TO RETURN FOR ONE RACE
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Aug. 13, 2011) – Once again in 2012 as part of the festivities leading up to the Arlington Million, five retired jockey greats will return to the saddle for one race and square off against five of the top riders in the Arlington Park standings in the “Arlington Fab 5” vs. “Legends” turf race complete with pari-mutuel wagering to be held on Friday, August 17, one day before the 30th running of the Arlington Million.
Slated to take a one-day break from retirement are Hall-of-Fame jockey Earlie Fires; Patti Cooksey, who has been participating in similar Legends races the last few seasons; former Arlington Park Rising Star and now HRTV Broadcaster Zoe Cadman, former Eclipse Award winning rider Frank Lovato Jr.; and Midwestern mainstay Larry Melancon.
Monday, August 13 2012
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sunday, Aug. 12
TRIO OF BEVERLY D. PROSPECTS BREEZE AT ARLINGTON SUNDAY
Two mares and one filly that were pre-entered for Arlington’s Grade I Beverly D. Stakes last Friday were on the Chicago oval’s work tab Sunday morning in advance of Saturday’s upcoming $750,000 sister race to the Grade I Arlington Million.
The Million and the Beverly D., as well as Arlington’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes restricted to sophomores, are the showcase events during Arlington’s one-day International Festival this Saturday over Arlington’s world famous turf course, and will be complemented for the first time this summer by the inaugural running of the $400,000 American St. Leger Stakes at one mile and 11/16ths on the grass.
Saturday, August 11 2012
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Fri. AUg. 10 - Festival Pre-Entries Announced
ELEVEN TOP TURF RUNNERS PRE-ENTERED FOR ARLINGTON MILLION XXX
Pre-entries for the 2012 editions of the Grade I Arlington Million, Grade I Beverly D. Stakes, Grade I Secretariat Stakes – as well as Arlington’s inaugural running of the $400,000 American St. Leger Stakes – closed at noon Friday with 11 older horses named to the upcoming 30th anniversary edition of the Arlington Million on August 18.
Ten grass-favoring fillies and mares were pre-entered for the $750,000 Beverly D. as the Arlington Million’s sister race, and nine turf-preferring sophomores were pre-entered for the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes restricted to grass-favoring sophomores.
Thursday, August 09 2012
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thursday, Aug. 9
IRISH EYES FOCUS ON BALLYROAN STAKES AT LEOPARDSTOWN THURSDAY
British-bred Arlington Million candidate Treasure Beach, owned by Mrs. Fitriani Hay, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor, is scheduled to go to the post in Ireland’s Group III Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown Thursday evening in a final tune-up for the 30th anniversary edition of the upcoming Grade I Arlington Million on Aug. 18.
Adrian Beaumont of the Newmarket-based International Racing Bureau advised Arlington racing officials that Treasure Beach is training well and that Thursday’s run is to serve as a preparation the Million, and that unless he runs poorly he remains “all systems go” for Chicago’s traditional showcase Thoroughbred race.
TWO ILLINOIS OWNERS STAKES HIGHLIGHT SATURDAY CARD
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Aug. 8, 2012) – With international horses slated to take center stage for the Aug. 18 Arlington Million and International Festival of Racing, Arlington Park sheds this weekend’s stakes spotlight on locally owned horses by presenting $100,000 Illinois Owners Stakes in both open and distaff divisions. Each race is slated for a mile and a sixteenth on the turf.
The filly and mare division, which goes as race 8 on the 11-race card, features no fewer than four stakes winners including Mark Hoffman & Earl Trostud Jr.’s Grade I victress Hooh Why, who ran second in the Grade III Ontario Matron at Woodbine in her last start and earlier this year finished third in the Grade III Arlington Matron. Rosemary Homeister Jr. rides the Mike Reavis trainee.
Wednesday, August 08 2012
Road to the 2012 Arlington Million: Vol 6 - Wed. Aug. 8
TREASURE BEACH POSITIONED TO ADD TO MILLION-SECRETARIAT LEGACY
All systems remain on ‘go’ for the British-bred European-based Treasure Beach to add his name to the historical connection between the Arlington Million and the Secretariat Stakes.
As the winner of last summer’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes, the Aidan O’Brien trainee now owned by Mrs. Fitriani Hay, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor remains on target for his attempted encore in the 30th anniversary edition of the Grade I Arlington Million during Arlington’s upcoming one-day International Festival of Racing now just days away on August 18.
