Friday, July 11 2008

EARLY PICK FOUR CARRYOVER FOR FRIDAY, JULY 11

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 10, 2008) – There will be a $12,786 carryover into Friday’s Early Pick Four pool at Arlington Park. Since there were no perfect tickets on Thursday’s Early Pick Four, those who had three of four correct received a consolation payoff of $13.90 on a $1 ticket.

Thursday’s Early Pick Four winners were:

2nd Race -- #3 Tactoro ($4.40)
3rd Race -- #12 Mr. Cooley ($62.60)
4th Race -- #10 Death Valley ($13.00)
5th Race -- #11 Dubious ($43.00)

Arlington Park Barn Notes: July 10

TIZDEJAVU MAKES HIMSELF AT HOME FOR SATURDAY’S AMERICAN DERBY

Michael Cooper and Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu, the 2-1 morning-line choice for Saturday’s Grade II American Derby at Arlington, arrived late Wednesday by van from Louisville and was settled in nicely Thursday morning at his temporary home in Arlington’s Stakes Barn.

“We had no issues during our trip,” said groom Chrissy Atkins, who travels with the majority of trainer Greg Fox’s horses, as she set up a hay rack adjacent to Tizdejavu’s stall Thursday morning. “He always ships great. He’s an even-tempered sort, but he is a 3-year-old colt and sometimes he gets a little rambunctious when he feels as good as he does.

Thursday, July 10 2008

TIZDEJAVU HEADS FIELD FOR GRADE II AMERICAN DERBY

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 9, 2008) – Michael Cooper & Pamela Ziebarth’s Tizdejavu, winner of consecutive graded turf stakes at Churchill Downs, invades from his Kentucky homebase as the 2-1 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $250,000 American Derby at Arlington Park.

The Grade II race, at a mile and three-sixteenths on the turf, is the second leg of the Mid-America Triple that began with the Arlington Classic at a mile and a sixteenth on May 24 and concludes with the Grade I $400,000 Secretariat Stakes on Aug. 9. The American Derby is also one of three graded stakes races on turf that comprise Arlington's Million Preview Day that also includes the Grade III $200,000 Arlington Handicap for older runners and the Grade III $150,000 Modesty Handicap for fillies and mares.

COMMUNIQUE FAVORED IN GRADE III MODESTY

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 9, 2008) – G. Watts Humphrey Jr.’s Communique, winner of Keeneland’s Grade III Bewitch Stakes in April, tops a field of 11 distaffers entered in Saturday’s Grade III $150,000 Modesty Handicap at Arlington Park.

The Modesty serves as the final local prep for the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D., which will be held August 9, and will be run at the Beverly D. distance of a mile and three-sixteenths over Arlington’s world famous turf course.

The race is one of three graded stakes that comprise the track’s Million Preview Day program. In addition to the Modesty, the 12-race card includes the Grade II $250,000 American Derby and the $200,000 Grade III Arlington Handicap.

COSMONAUT TO DEFEND TITLE IN ARLINGTON HANDICAP

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 9, 2008) – Two-time defending champion Cosmonaut, who races in the colors of Flying Zee Stable, has accepted top impost of 118 pounds and will head to post Saturday as the 7-5 morning-line favorite in the 73rd running of the $200,000 Arlington Handicap.

The Grade III race serves as the final local prep for the Grade I Arlington Million, which will be held August 9, and will be run at the Million’s distance of a mile and a quarter over Arlington’s world famous turf course.

The Arlington Handicap is one of three graded stakes races that comprise the track’s Million Preview Day program. In addition to the Arlington Handicap, the 12-race card includes the Grade II $250,000 American Derby and the Grade III $150,000 Modesty Handicap.

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Wed. July 9

ARLINGTON PARK SALUTES MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS SATURDAY

As part of a star-spangled afternoon that appropriately includes Arlington’s historic American Derby, more than 30 recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor will be saluted between Saturday’s races at Chicago’s premier oval.

The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award for uncommon valor in combat, and the United States Military Corps Color Guard will individually recognize each of those Medal of Honor recipients in winner’s circle ceremonies.

Road to the Million: Vol. 5

With reigning Horse of the Year Curlin no longer in the mix, South American-bred but North American-based Einstein, hero of Churchill’s Grade I Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day May 3, remains ensconced as the long-range favorite for next month’s Grade I Arlington Million. Einstein’s updated status is based on his encouraging runner-up effort in the Grade II Firecracker Handicap last weekend in Louisville.

The Firecracker, run at a flat mile over Churchill’s Matt Winn turf course, was hardly the ideal distance for Einstein – and his connections were well aware of that – but the son of 1985 Kentucky Derby hero Spend a Buck rallied boldly in the late stages to gain the Firecracker place position and can be expected to appreciate the added two furlongs of the Million on Aug. 9.

Monday, July 07 2008

Arlington Park Barn Notes: Sun. July 6

MEAL PENALTY MAKES MID-AMERICA TRIPLE MOVE

There is only one horse this summer with a chance to join Tom Rolfe, Buckpasser and Honor Glide as the only Thoroughbreds to sweep Arlington Park’s Mid-America Triple, and that is Sassafras Racing and Gulf Coast Farms’ Meal Penalty.

Conditioned by four-time defending Eclipse Award winning-trainer Todd Pletcher, Meal Penalty won the $150,000 Arlington Classic – first leg of the Triple – on May 24, leading every step of the way for a game three quarter-length victory in that 1 1/16-miles grass test.

Sunday, July 06 2008

Two Carryovers for Sunday

NEARLY $25,000 IN LATE PICK 4 POOL FOR SUNDAY, JULY 6 ALSO HIGH FIVE CARRYOVER OF $17,023

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 5, 2008) – There will be a two carryovers to greet Sunday race fans at Arlington Park. There will be a $24,093 carryover into the Late Pick Four pool and that pool is expected to reach $60,000 while the $1 High 5 wager will have a carryover pool of $17,023 heading into the day’s final race and the total pool on that wager is estimated to reach $40,000.

First post on Sunday is 1 p.m. (CDT). Post time for the day’s sixth race, the first leg of the Late Pick Four, is scheduled for 3:34 p.m. while the 9th race post time is slated for 5:10 p.m.

DREAMING OF LIZ WINS SWEETEST CHANT STAKES AT ARLINGTON

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 5, 2008) – Frank Calabrese’s Dreaming of Liz wore blinkers for the first time and led every step of the way en route to a neck victory in the $53,300 Sweetest Chant Stakes at Arlington Park on Saturday. With Hall of Fame jockey Earlie Fires in the irons, the Wayne Catalano-trained daughter of Silver Maiden covered the mile and a sixteenth over Polytrack in 1:46.45.

“I got on her the other day and she acted like the blinkers would really help her,” said Catalano, the meet’s leading trainer. “In the turf race (the American 1000 Guineas in May), she grabbed herself, stumbled pretty good and took a shoe off, so we don’t really have a line on her on the grass yet.”

Arlington Barn Notes: July 5

COSMONAUT TO TRY FOR ‘THREE-PEAT’ IN ARLINGTON HANDICAP JULY 12

Flying Zee Stable’s Cosmonaut would leave the charted atmosphere of Chicago Thoroughbred history should he become the first horse to win three straight renewals of the Arlington Handicap. This summer’s upcoming renewal is on July 12.

The 73rd running of the Grade III 10-furlong grass test is the final major local prep for the Grade I Arlington Million Aug. 9. Prior to Cosmonaut’s back-to-back Arlington Handicap victories the last two summers, the only horse in history to accomplish that double was Kerr Stable’s Round Table, who visited the local winner’s circle in 1958 and 1959, shortly after the initial Sputnik launchings.

Saturday, July 05 2008

SILVERFOOT TAKES GRADE III STARS AND STRIPES HANDICAP

Chrysalis Stables LLC’s Silverfoot overtook longshot front-runner Rumor Has It at the top of the stretch, easily dispatched that rival and held off a belated rally from Telling to post a two-length win in a spirited 76th renewal of the Grade III Stars and Stripes Handicap, the traditional holiday headliner at Arlington Park on Independence Day.

Ridden by Rene Douglas, who picked up his fifth Stars and Stripes victory, the son of With Approval covered the mile and a half over “good” turf in 2:30.40 and paid $12, $6.80 and $4.60.