Sunday, August 24 2008
Barn Notes: Sunday, August 24, 2008
S.M.I.L.E! HORSE OWNER PARTNERSHIPS CAN BE FUN!
Will More Than Able win Sunday’s second race at Arlington Park for a group of everyday people who wanted to experience the thrill of owning a horse?
Trainer Jan Ely thinks so. “He’s wild and dangerous this morning,” said Ely during training hours Sunday. “He knows he’s in today. Cheer us on!”
“Us,” it turns out, is a diverse group of people who always wanted to own and race a Thoroughbred but did not necessarily have the means to be one’s sole support. The group came together in stages – almost by accident – before assembling under the banner of the S.M.I.L.E Stable. The partnership has been a lot of fun for each of them even though More Than Able has yet to visit the winner’s circle.
Saturday, August 23 2008
Barn Notes: Saturday, August 23, 2008
DUEL FOR ARLINGTON’S LEADING APPRENTICE HONORS HEATS UP
Frank Calabrese, Wayne Catalano and Rene Douglas are far in front in defense their respective owner, trainer and jockey championships of last season at Arlington, but an exciting battle for leading apprentice honors this summer has been gaining momentum lately.
Brandon Meier, born in nearby Elk Grove Village and the son of one of Chicago’s all-time leading jockeys, remains the apprentice leader entering Saturday’s races, but Swedish-born youngster Inez Karlsson, a former boxer in her native land, remains within striking distance while only seven wins behind the local favorite.
Friday, August 22 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Fri. Aug. 22
MR. NIGHTLINGER’S MARTINS MAY GET ANOTHER CHANCE AT BC
Saturday’s $200,000 Arlington Sprint favorite Mr. Nightlinger has rolled off four straight wins since finding a home sprinting on grass, and should he add a fifth to that total in this weekend’s Chicago feature, the 4-year-old son of Indian Charlie will be pointed to Santa Anita’s inaugural Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in late October.
That would give William and Stephanie Martin, who own Mr. Nightlinger in partnership with Carl Moore Management, another chance at a goal that eluded them last year.
Thursday, August 21 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thursday, August 21, 2008
MR. NIGHTLINGER TRIES FOR FIVE IN SATURDAY’S ARLINGTON SPRINT
Martin Racing Stable and Carl Moore Management’s Mr. Nightlinger, undefeated since finding a home sprinting on grass in April, shoots for his fifth straight win when he looms as the 8-5 morning line choice in Saturday’s $200,000 Arlington Sprint at five and a half furlongs over Arlington’s world famous turf course.
Although Saturday’s dash will be the 12th running of the Sprint, the race will be on turf for the first time, a fact that should prove to the advantage of Mr. Nightlinger.
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Wed. Aug. 20
ARLINGTON’S HIGHEST HIGH 5 CARRYOVER POSTPONED TO THURSDAY
The highest Arlington Park High 5 carryover pool to date – a whopping $51,464 – will now be made available in Thursday’s eighth race after three horses were scratched from Wednesday’s finale.
Due to the unprecedented high carryover pool recorded when no one correctly picked the first five finishers in order in Sunday’s last race, Thursday’s High 5 wager is expected to have an estimated pool of $100,000.
Sunday, August 17 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Aug. 17
HAPPINESS IS THE TIN MAN TODAY
What’s become of The Tin Man since he left the yellow brick road of his active racing career in October of 2007?
Saturday’s feature attraction – the initial running of Arlington Park’s $53,400 The Tin Man Stakes – begged the question. The weekend’s main event was an overnight stakes was named in honor of the horse who won the Arlington Million two years ago and then just missed last summer in a quest to become the first horse to win it two years in a row.
Saturday, August 16 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Aug. 16, 2008
INEZ WINS FOUR AT ARLINGTON AGAIN; THREE FOR KIRBY
What’s better than becoming the first female rider to win four winners on a single racing program at Arlington Park? Doing it twice in the same summer!
That’s what Swedish-born apprentice jockey Inez Karlsson did Friday at Chicago’s showcase Thoroughbred oval – thanks in a large part to two-time Arlington trainer champion Frank Kirby, who saddled three of her Friday winners and was one of the first conditioners to pick up on the riding talents of Karlsson.
Friday, August 15 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Fri. Aug. 15
MORNING LINE OF DEMARCATION FAVORED IN SATURDAY’S FEATURE
Amerman Racing Stables Demarcation, who closed fast when finishing third in Arlington’s $150,000 Sea o’ Erin Stakes July 26, has been made the 9-5 morning line favorite when he faces six rivals in Saturday’s $50,000 The Tin Man Stakes at Arlington Park.
The altered son of Gulch, beaten three-quarters of a length for all of it in that one-mile turf test, should appreciate the added sixteenth of a mile distance in Saturday’s feature – also over Arlington Park’s world famous grass course – and will have the riding services of veteran Arlington jockey E. T. Baird once again.
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Aug. 14, 2008
RANDY RETURNS TO NEBRASKA SUNDAY FOR HALL OF FAME INDUCTION
Veteran Illinois-based jockey Randy Meier, who surpassed the 4,000 career-win milestone on closing day of Arlington Park’s 2007 season, will return to his native Nebraska this weekend for ceremonies inducting him into the Nebraska Racing Hall of Fame.
“It’s kind of neat,” said Meier (whose son Brandon is Arlington’s leading apprentice rider this summer) when asked about the upcoming Nebraska recognition ceremonies. “My mother still lives there, and she’ll be coming to the ceremony along with Brandon and Emily (Meier’s daughter who serves as Arlington’s marketing coordinator). We’re all going to stay for a couple of days and return to Chicago on Tuesday.
Thursday, August 14 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Wed., Aug. 13
PREPARING FOR PUCKER UP – ‘LIZ’ LOVING TURF WEDNESDAY
Frank Calabrese’s Dreaming of Liz, winner of last fall’s Grade III Arlington-Washington Lassie and runner-up in this month’s Grade III Arlington Oaks – both on Polytrack – breezed five-eighths in 1:02.60 over Arlington Park’s world famous turf course Wednesday morning in probable preparation for the Grade III Pucker Up Stakes Sept. 6.
Jockey Junior Alvarado was aboard for Wednesday’s breeze, and galloped out the daughter of El Prado out of Silver Maiden in 1:15.60 for three-quarters.
Monday, August 11 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sun.,Aug. 10
EUROPEANS ONE-TWO-THREE UNDER MILLION’S WIRE FOR FIRST TIME
For the first time in Arlington Million history, European-based invaders for the centerpiece event of Chicago’s Thoroughbred racing season crossed under the wire as the first three finishers Saturday afternoon.
French-based Spirit One was the winner of Arlington Million XXVI, finishing three-quarters of a length in front of globally-based Archipenko, who crossed under the wire a length and a half to the good of Irish-based and British-bred Mount Nelson.
Sunday, August 10 2008
SPIRIT ONE FLIES HOME FIRST FOR FRANCE IN ARLINGTON MILLION XXVI
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (August 9, 2008) –Air France flew first, but European runners also finished second and third when Kamel Chehboub’s French-bred Spirit One stole Chicago’s biggest racing show with an unexpected wire-to-wire win in Arlington Million XXVI.
Taking command just after the break with a cleverly rated run under Basque-born jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, Spirit One, second in France’s Group III La Coupe Stakes June 14 in his last start, beat all the road rage traffic just behind and held on willingly to post a three quarter-length courageous score for his French connections, quarterbacked by trainer Philippe Demercastel.
