Sunday, September 07 2008
C. S. SILK WIRES LASSIE; CLOSEOUT RALLIES FOR PUCKER UP WIN
William Pacella, George Bonomo and Fred Barbara’s C. S. Silk and Glen Hill Farm’s Closeout shared top honors on “Ladies’ Day” Saturday at Arlington Park with victories in the Grade III Arlington-Washington Lassie and the Grade III Pucker Up Stakes, respectively. Former Arlington riding champion Robby Albarado was aboard C. S. Silk while Kentucky-based Jamie Theriot was the jockey astride Closeout.
In the Lassie, a one-mile race on Polytrack for 2-year-old fillies, C. S. Silk was on the lead and just off the rail throughout the race, setting fractions of 22.33 seconds for the quarter-mile, 45.59 seconds for the half, a three-quarter split of 1:10.37 en route to the final clocking of 1:36.38. She was six lengths clear of runner-up Quite the Lady.
C. S. SILK WIRES LASSIE; CLOSEOUT RALLIES FOR PUCKER UP WIN
William Pacella, George Bonomo and Fred Barbara’s C. S. Silk and Glen Hill Farm’s Closeout shared top honors on “Ladies’ Day” Saturday at Arlington Park with victories in the Grade III Arlington-Washington Lassie and the Grade III Pucker Up Stakes, respectively. Former Arlington riding champion Robby Albarado was aboard C. S. Silk while Kentucky-based Jamie Theriot was the jockey astride Closeout.
In the Lassie, a one-mile race on Polytrack for 2-year-old fillies, C. S. Silk was on the lead and just off the rail throughout the race, setting fractions of 22.33 seconds for the quarter-mile, 45.59 seconds for the half, a three-quarter split of 1:10.37 en route to the final clocking of 1:36.38. She was six lengths clear of runner-up Quite the Lady.
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sat. Sept. 6
KARLSSON KEEPS CHIPPING AWAY AT APPRENTICE HONORS
With 10 racing days remaining in Arlington’s 2008 season, apprentice jockey Inez Karlsson continues to gain ground on fellow rider Brandon Meier for this session’s leading “bug” rider honors.
Entering Saturday’s races, Meier, 20, born in nearby Elk Grove Village, is fifth in Arlington’s overall jockey standings with 54 wins, while Karlsson, 23, born in Göteborg, Sweden, is in the seventh spot with 50 trips to the winner’s circle.
Friday, September 05 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Fri. Sept. 5
MUCH OBLIGED SEEKS SECOND AMERICAN KISS IN PUCKER UP
Canadian-based filly Much Obliged crossed the world’s friendliest border early this Arlington season to win Arlington’s inaugural running of the $200,000 American 1000 Guineas for Josephine Abercrombie’s Pin Oak Stable.
Now, the girl is back in town. Early Friday morning, the daughter of Danka took up temporary residence in Chicago once again to participate in the Grade III Pucker Up Stakes as part of Arlington’s Ladies Day program Saturday.
Arlington Park Barn Notes - Thursday, September 4, 2008
TIMMY’S SUNDAY MORNING COMING DOWN: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
All’s well that ends well – and that’s the way it worked out for Arlington jockey Tim Thornton following his apparently wasted weekend trip to Delaware Park.
Thornton, a 21-year-old native of Lake Charles, Louisiana, flew from Chicago to Philadelphia to ride Ron Frankel, Gerald Frankel and Michael Coit’s Sagaponack in Delaware’s Grade III Kent Stakes last Saturday.
Thursday, September 04 2008
Arlington Park Stakes Advance
FULL FIELDS OF FILLIES FOR GRADE III PUCKER UP STAKES AND GRADE III ARLINGTON-WASHINGTON LASSIE
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Sept. 3, 2008) – An overflow field of 13 sophomore fillies passed the entry box Wednesday for Saturday’s Grade III $200,000 Pucker Up Stakes at a mile and an eighth on the turf. The Pucker Up shares the Saturday spotlight with the Grade III $150,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie for 2-year-old fillies as part of the track’s “Ladies Day” program.
Frank C. Calabrese’s Dreaming of Liz, winner of the 2007 Lassie, seeks to become the first filly to win both the Lassie and the Pucker Up and comes into the race off a runner-up effort in the Grade III Arlington Oaks over Polytrack in her last start. The daughter of El Prado has made only one start in her career, finishing sixth in the $200,000 American 1000 Guineas over this course in May. Earlier this year, the Wayne Catalano trainee won the $50,000 Double Delta and the $50,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes on the main track. Hall-of-Fame jockey Earlie Fires, Arlington’s all-time winningest jockey and second all-time amongst active rider, has the mount.
Tuesday, September 02 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sept. 1
BRANDON COUNTERS WITH SUNDAY PUNCH RIDING DOUBLE
Apprentice jockey Brandon Meier landed a significant counterpunch Sunday in the battle for leading apprentice honors this summer at Arlington, winning two races to increase his lead to eight victories over rival “bug” rider Inez Karlsson.
One day earlier, Karlsson scored a riding triple to close the gap between them, but Karlsson went winless Sunday. There are now 13 racing days remaining in Arlington Park’s 2008 season entering Monday’s Labor Day program.
Meier, a 20-year-old native of nearby Elk Grove Village, cut the teeth of his career as a jockey on May 11 – literally. Meier won that riding debut by 4 1/4-lengths aboard Frank Calabrese’s Houseboat, but suffered some fractured teeth and received seven stitches as a result of a starting gate mishap with that mount.
Monday, September 01 2008
Barn Notes: Sunday, August 31, 2008
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION NOW AS INEZ TIGHTENS APPRENTICE RACE
Red-hot jockey Inez Karlsson, who won the first race of her career shortly before Arlington Park’s 2007 season ended, rode three more winners Saturday to continue her quest for leading apprentice honors at the meeting.
Fellow apprentice Brandon Meier, who quickly built a seemingly insurmountable number of Arlington victories after breaking his maiden with his first career mount earlier this season, was shut out Saturday to remain at 52 wins, while Karlsson narrowed the gap to be credited with 46 wins through Saturday’s races.
Including Sunday’s racing program, there are 14 racing days left in the 2008 Arlington meeting, which concludes Sept. 21.
Sunday, August 31 2008
Barn Notes: Saturday, August 30, 2008
THE BRITISH ARE COMING – ONCE AGAIN THIS SEASON AT ARLINGTON!
European-based horses finished one-two-three in this summer’s Grade I Arlington Million, and one-two in Arlington’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes on that same afternoon, but apparently once was not enough. Now the British have sent one more invader to America in advance of Arlington’s Grade III Pucker Up Stakes Sept. 6.
Upcoming on the Arlington graded stakes turf stage is a Jazz Jam. She’s a British-bred sophomore filly owned by Faisal Salman and trained by Paul Cole in Great Britain, but will probably run in the name of British-born but American-based trainer Graham Motion when she goes to the post in the Pucker Up. The $200,000 race is restricted to 3-year-old fillies and run at nine furlongs over Arlington’s world famous turf course.
Saturday, August 30 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Aug. 29
RIVELLI READIES ‘RAVIN’ FOR UPCOMING LASSIE; ‘JAMES’ FOR FUTURITY
The 73rd renewal of the Grade III Arlington-Washington Lassie approaches Sept. 6, and one week later on Sept. 13 is the 74th running of the Grade III Arlington-Washington Futurity.
And the way things are going lately, Arlington Park trainer Larry Rivelli appears loaded for bear in both spots.
Richard Ravin and Rivelli’s Ravin Maniac, coming off an impressive win over Arlington’s Polytrack course Aug. 7, breezed five-eighths Friday morning in 1:01.20 in preparation for next weekend’s Lassie, Arlington’s traditional one-mile main event for juvenile fillies.
Friday, August 29 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thurs. Aug. 28
MILLER RACING STABLE MAKING BIG TIME
Everybody on the backstretch knows the husband-and-wife trainer team of Danny and Patti Miller, who recently cracked the top 10 in the Arlington Park owner standings as Miller Racing Stable Ltd. along with their partner Mike Conway.
But who is Mike Conway?
“He’s a pretty high-powered attorney around Illinois – with clients like Muhammad Ali – but he’s also a really nice guy,” said Patti Miller Thursday morning during training hours. “He’s not the kind of guy you see around the barn every morning – he’s a very busy man – but he tries to come to the races every weekend. He loves horse racing and he loves to gamble.”
Thursday, August 28 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Aug. 27
SUMMER’S ENDING – BUT ARLINGTON PARK RUNS UNTIL SEPT. 21
Wednesday’s “live” racing programs at Arlington this season end with the month of August, but Thursday through Sunday programs will continue for an additional three weeks until the northwest suburban oval’s 2008 session ends Sept. 21.
Naturally, one of the highlights during the dwindling days of any Arlington season is an extended Labor Day holiday weekend that includes the second of two Monday racing programs slated this summer on Labor Day, Sept. 1.
