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.

Kip Deville headlines Woodbine Mile

IEAH Stables and Partners' Kip Deville, the top-ranked turf miler in North America, is the 6-5 morning line favourite and will break from post four in a field of eight for Sunday's Grade 1, $1 million Woodbine Mile.

The 12th edition of one of the premier grass races in North America will be televised live across Canada on The Score, in a special two-hour presentation from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm ET, with post time scheduled for 5:35 pm. The winner receives $600,000.

Jockey James gets first win; 2nd NARA grad to win

Michael “Mikey” James became the second North American Racing Academy (NARA) graduate to enter the winner’s circle when he rode Lady Phoenix to a neck victory in Thursday’s first race at Turfway Park.

The apprentice’s first win came on the third mount of his young career. He finished out of the money on two mounts Wednesday, the fall meet’s opening night.

Top Ranked CURLIN to Make Next Start at Belmont Park

Considered the top thoroughbred in the United States and ranked number one in the world by the British racing authority Timeform, 2007 Horse of the Year Curlin is scheduled to make his next start in the 90th running of the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup Invitational (Grade 1) at Belmont Park on Sept. 27, according to Curlin’s majority owner Stonestreet Farms.

Curlin won last year’s Jockey Club Gold Cup as a three year old and would go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Horse-of-the-Year honors. His 2008 campaign highlights include wins in the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), a solid second in the Man o’ War (G1) on the turf at Belmont Park to former Breeders’ Cup Turf champion Red Rocks, and, most recently, last Saturday’s Woodward (G1) win at Saratoga.

Curlin Loves New York

Stonestreet Farms announced today that the next start for Curlin, 2007 Horse of the Year, will be the Jockey Club Gold Cup on Saturday, September 27, 2008 at Belmont Park in New York City.

“The Jockey Club Gold Cup was selected for Curlin in order to continue his legacy as one of America’s greatest thoroughbreds,” said Jess Jackson, majority owner of Curlin.

BIG BROWN HEADS LIST OF 35 NOMS FOR SEPT. 13 MONMOUTH STAKES

Kentucky Derby and Haskell Invitational winner Big Brown tops a list of 35 nominations for the Monmouth Stakes, a mile and an eighth turf test to be contested at Monmouth Park on Saturday, Sept. 13.

Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., Big Brown will be making just his second career start on turf in the Monmouth Stakes, having broken his maiden on the grass at Saratoga in his debut on Sept. 3, 2007. Following that maiden score, a majority interest in the colt by Boundary from the Nureyev mare Mien was purchased by IEAH Stables. Big Brown races for IEAH Stables, Paul Pompa Jr., Gary Tolchin, Andrew Cohen and Pegasus Holdings Group.

SIX FILLIES SET TO GO IN GIN TALKING STAKES

A promising band of two-year-old fillies will try the turf in the $50,000 Gin Talking Stakes, the feature offering on Saturday at Laurel Park. A “Back to Racing Barbeque” is the on-track promotion for the first weekend of the 17-week fall meeting at the central Maryland track.

The Gin Talking is set for 5-1/2 furlongs and restricted to registered Maryland-breds. Six fillies are entered, topped by Graceful Ginger, the 8-5 morning line favorite.

Keeneland September Yearling Sale Opens Monday

Keeneland will play host to the international Thoroughbred community for the next two weeks as its 65th annual September Yearling Sale opens Monday.

Keeneland has cataloged a record 5,555 yearlings – the largest ever offered – for the September Sale, to be held September 8-23. Sessions begin daily at 10 a.m. ET; no sale will be conducted Friday, September 12.

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

FRANKEL LOOKING FOR A THIRD WOODBINE MILE WIN

Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel will be looking for his third win in the Woodbine Mile on Sunday, when he sends out Juddmonte Farms' Ventura in the Grade 1, $1 million turf classic.

Ventura, a four-year-old daughter of Chester House, has won three of her five starts this year after campaigning in England as a two and three-year-old. She'll also try to become the first filly to win the Woodbine Mile in its 12 editions.

Fall Championship draws 10 for “Win and You’re In” shot

The 59th running of the $100,000 Turfway Park Fall Championship (G3), lengthened to 1 1/2 miles for its debut as a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, has drawn a talented field of 10 for Saturdays’ renewal at Turfway Park.

Under the Challenge series’ “Win and You’re In” provision, the winner of the race automatically qualifies for the Breeders’ Cup Marathon, part of the $25.5 million Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita next month. Breeders’ Cup races that traditionally run on dirt will instead be run for the first time on an all-weather surface akin to Turfway’s Polytrack.

OAK TREE COMMEMORATIVE STEIN TO BE GIVEN AWAY OPENING DAY, SEPT. 24

ARCADIA, Calif. (Sept. 3, 2008)—The Oak Tree Racing Association will kick off its 40th anniversary season by rewarding all fans who attend on-track with a beautiful Oak Tree Commemorative Stein on opening day, Sept. 24. This is the 22nd consecutive year the stein has been offered to fans, making it the longest running and most popular promotion in Oak Tree history.

The steins, free with paid admission, have become prized collector’s items and will feature the likeness of Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who won an unprecedented four Breeders’ Cup races at Oak Tree in 2003. His four Breeders’ Cup champions, Halfbridled, Pleasantly Perfect, Johar and Action This Day, will also be depicted.