Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Thursday, May 24, 2018

By Bailey Gallison —-

• Ezmosh Makes Second Grass Start in Grade III Arlington Classic
• Casse to Send Illinois-bred Hayworth for Purple Violet Stakes
• Grade III Arlington Handicap Among Options For Arklow

EZMOSH MAKES SECOND GRASS START IN GRADE III ARLINGTON CLASSIC

Madaket Stables, Ten Strike Racing and Zayat Stable’s Ezmosh may have found a new niche last time out when successfully trying turf for the first time and will go for a stakes victory over the grass in Saturday’s Grade III $100,000 Arlington Classic at Arlington International Racecourse.

Trained by Brad Cox, the Oklahoma-bred son of Tizway defeated winners in a first level allowance on March 25 over Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots’ Stall-Wilson Turf Course. Ezmosh sat right off the pace in the race’s early stages and took command at the top of the stretch under jockey Florent Geroux.

“He’ll be running back in his first race since the Fair Grounds,” Cox said. “It wasn’t because anything was wrong. Just wasn’t a good race for him. Didn’t want to run him [at Churchill] in the American Turf – that would’ve been a little too tough. He’s been doing well. I’m looking forward to getting him a second start on turf.”

Cox always believed that Ezmosh had turf capabilities, but when the horse began exceling on the main track he decided to stick with it in pursuit of chasing Kentucky Derby dreams. Such dreams were sought after when the horse was entered in the Grade III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, but Ezmosh was a well-beaten tenth.

“He’s got big feet,” Cox said. “He’s by Tizway and they tend to do well on grass. We entered him on the grass at Saratoga (as a 2-year-old) in his second start and it came off. He had always run well on dirt that we were chasing the Derby. Once he ran in the Southwest we figured it would be the time to try turf. He’s one-for-one on it, hopefully he’ll be two-for-two on Saturday.”

Cox captured last year’s edition of the Arlington Classic with a 5¾-length victory by Cowboy Culture in a final time of 1:46.81.

CASSE TO SEND ILLINOIS-BRED HAYWORTH FOR PURPLE VIOLET STAKES

Following a third-place effort at Churchill Downs in a first level allowance on May 19, trainer Mark Casse will send Brinker Hill Farm’s homebred Hayworth to Arlington International Racecourse to take on fellow 3-year-old Illinois-bred fillies in next month’s $75,000 Purple Violet Stakes on June 16. The race is contested at one mile over the Polytrack.

The daughter of Arch broke her maiden over the turf at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots back in March by 2½ lengths at odds of 20-1. Racing last out over the grass at Churchill, Hayworth sat off of a slow pace and was tucked along the rail under jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. She made a strong rally at the top of the stretch to finish third behind two-time winner Stave.

“In her last race I thought she ran well,” said Casse’s assistant trainer Nick Tomlinson. “We were caught in a pace scenario where they were going a little too slow up front for her. She did run well though and she has trained well going into the race. We’re hoping to have a good result on June 16.”

Hayworth is out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Glamorista – a half-sister to two-time Champion New York bred mare Critical Eye, as well as Vanquished, the dam of three-time graded stakes winner Takeover Target.

GRADE III ARLINGTON HANDICAP AMONG OPTIONS FOR ARKLOW

Trainer Brad Cox stated that the Grade III $100,000 Arlington Handicap on July 7 at Arlington International Racecourse could be the next start for graded stakes winner Arklow, who was recently fourth in the Grade I Old Forester Turf Classic on May 5.

Owned by Donegal Racing in partnership with Joseph Bugler and Peter Coneway, the 4-year-old son of Arch won on the Kentucky Derby undercard last year as well when taking the Grade II American Turf Stakes, which was only his second start on grass.

This year he made his seasonal bow against allowance company over Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots’ Stall-Wilson Turf Course on February 24 before a runner-up effort behind Synchrony in the Grade II Muniz Memorial Handicap a month later.

“He could come up to Chicago,” Cox said. “We’re also looking at the (Grade I $1,000,000) Manhattan Handicap (on June 9 at Belmont Park) and the (Grade I $300,000) United Nations (on June 30) at Monmouth. We’ve got some options with him. (The Arlington Handicap) is definitely an option, we’d like to try stretching him out.”

Arklow was a $160,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2015 from Penn Sales consignment operation. He boasts a lifetime record of 12-3-2-1 and $355,189 in earnings. His younger half-brother Maraud also won this year’s Grade II American Turf Stakes on Kentucky Derby day.