Monday, August 04 2008
Arlington Park International Festival of Racing Barn Notes: Sun. Aug. 3
ARLINGTON MILLION’S ARCHIPENKO ON TRAINING TRACK SUNDAY
World traveler Archipenko, one of three European invaders serving as star attractions for Saturday’s Grade I Arlington Million, arrived at Arlington late Friday night and cleared quarantine in time to stretch his legs over Arlington’s training track mid-morning Sunday.
South African trainer Mike de Kock’s assistant Trevor Brown was aboard for Archipenko’s Sunday morning exercise.
Sunday, August 03 2008
SKY MOM RALLIES TO TAKE GRADE III ARLINGTON OAKS
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (August 2, 2008) – Heather Stark’s Sky Mom rallied wide into the stretch to engage front running Dreaming of Liz at the furlong marker, battled that one for a sixteenth of a mile before drawing clear to a one-length victory in the Grade III Arlington Oaks Saturday at Arlington Park. Ramsey Zimmerman was aboard the Steve Asmussen-trained daughter of Maria’s Mon, who covered the mile and an eighth over Polytrack in 1:52.92.
“(Dreaming of Liz) came back a little bit but my horse had enough to hang on,” said Zimmerman. “I’m really happy with her. She relaxed and had a big kick.”
Arlington Million Barn Notes: August 2
ARLINGTON MILLION XXVI AUG. 9 ATTRACTS TEN
Ten of the world’s best turf horses – including three star-quality European invaders – were pre-entered Friday for the upcoming Arlington Million on Aug. 9.
The Grade I mile and a quarter turf test – centerpiece event of the Chicago Thoroughbred racing season – will be run along with the Grade I Beverly D. for grass-favoring fillies and mares and the Grade I Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds of international caliber on grass to make up Arlington Park’s one-day International Festival of Racing on the second Saturday in August.
Saturday, August 02 2008
Arlington International Festival of Racing Barn Notes: Aug. 1
ARLINGTON ANNOUNCES $250,000 GUARANTEED FESTIVAL PICK 3 POOL
With the prospective field sizes for Chicago’s upcoming Arlington Million, $750,000 Beverly D. and $400,000 Secretariat Stakes all expanding over the last 48 hours, Arlington Park has announced that there will be a $250,000 guaranteed pool for an International Festival Pick 3 encompassing Illinois’ only three annually-contested Grade I events.
Arlington’s one-day International Festival of Racing, centerpiece event of Chicago’s Thoroughbred racing season that attracts horses from all over the world, is quickly approaching on the second Saturday in August.
Thursday, July 31 2008
ADD TWO MARES TO BEVERLY D.’S PROBABLE STARTERS
Arlington’s Grade I Beverly D. Stakes, the Arlington Million’s sister race restricted to fillies and mares but also run along with the Grade I Secretariat Stakes on Arlington Million Day, had two late names added to its probable field size late Wednesday.
Irish-bred Rosinka, owned by The Lavington Stud and trained by Graham Motion, was third in Delaware Park’s Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes July 12 after winning Delaware’s $75,000 John W. Rooney Memorial on June 7.
SECRETARIAT STAKES FIELD SIZE SWELLING SUDDENLY
Like sudden storm clouds in a Chicago summer, the field size for Arlington’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes Aug. 9 has taken on dramatic new dimensions this week.
The $400,000 Secretariat, restricted to 3-year-olds of international caliber, will be contested along with the Arlington Million and $750,000 Beverly D. as one of three Grade I races to make up Arlington’s International Festival of Racing nine days away, but the grass race for sophomores which also serves as the final leg of Arlington’s Mid-America Triple is now attracting late interest from numerous horsemen based in the Midwest.
DAY OF VICTORY FAVORED IN GRADE III ARLINGTON OAKS
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 30, 2008) – Lewis Lakin’s Day of Victory, third in the $250,000 Iowa Derby when racing against male rivals last time out, faces foes of her own sex when she heads to post as the 5-2 morning line favorite in the Grade III Arlington Oaks on Saturday. The $100,000 race at a mile and an eighth for 3-year-old fillies will be ninth of 11 races on the program that starts at 1 p.m. Central time.
A daughter of Victory Gallop, Day of Victory is one for six this year with her lone seasonal score coming in allowance company at Oaklawn Park in March. Since that effort, she has been competitive in stakes competition and ran second in the $50,000 Panthers Stakes at Prairie Meadows in June. Trained by Bob Holthus, she will have the services of the meet’s leading rider Rene Douglas and will start widest of the eight fillies entered.
Arlington Million Barn Notes: Wednesday, July 30, 2008
KIRBY MULLING ‘MILLION’ FOR ‘CLOUDY’; BEVERLY D. FOR CIAO
S J Stables’ Cloudy’s Knight and Iron County Farms’ Ciao both breezed over Arlington Park’s world famous turf course Wednesday morning in increasingly probable preparation for next week’s Arlington Million and Beverly D. respectively.
Along with the 32nd running of Arlington’s Secretariat Stakes, Arlington Million XXVI and the 18th renewal of the Beverly D. will make up this summer’s one-day International Festival of Racing on Aug. 9.
Tuesday, July 29 2008
Road To The Arlington Million VIII: Monday, July 28, 2008
French-bred Spirit One, a late-blossoming 4-year-old colt who gave European superstar Duke of Marmalade a super scare in France’s Group I Prix Ganay April 27, is being added to what is already the strongest group of European-based Arlington Million candidates in recent memory.
The Grade I Arlington Million, observing its 25th renewal Aug. 9, will be contested at a mile and a quarter over Arlington’s world-famous turf course.
Monday, July 28 2008
Arlington Park Barn Notes: July 27, 2008
ARLINGTON MILLION’S STREAM CAT GETS SUNDAY BREEZE AT KEENELAND
Arlington Handicap hero Stream Cat, owned by Fab Oak Stable, Bobby Hurley and John Goldthorpe, breezed five furlongs in 1:02 over Keeneland’s Polytrack course Sunday morning in preparation for the Grade I Arlington Million on Aug. 9.
“(Stream Cat’s) work was excellent,” said trainer Rusty Arnold, speaking over the phone from his Lexington headquarters Sunday morning. “He’s right on schedule for the Arlington Million as of today.”
Sunday, July 27 2008
EARLY PICK FOUR CARRYOVER FOR SUNDAY, JULY 27
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 26, 2008) – There will be a $16,942 carryover into Sunday’s Early Pick Four pool at Arlington Park. Since there were no perfect tickets on Saturday’s Early Pick Four, those who had three of four correct received a consolation payoff of $104.60 on a $1 ticket.
Saturday’s Early Pick Four winners were:
Arlington Park Barn Notes: July 26
BEVERLY D. STILL POSSIBLE FOR COMMUNIQUE; ‘TEMPER’ OAKS-BOUND
Kentucky-based trainer “Rusty” Arnold, enjoying a super session at Arlington Park this summer, advised over the phone from Lexington Saturday morning that Grade III Modesty Handicap heroine Communique, owned by G. Watts Humphrey, is still a possibility for the Grade I Beverly D. – the Arlington Million’s sister race to be run along with the Million Aug. 9.
On the morning after the Modesty, Arnold – who also saddled Arlington Handicap hero Stream Cat the previous day – indicated that while Stream Cat was probable for the Million, Communique’s status for the Beverly D. was uncertain.
