Arlington International Racecourse Barn Notes: Thursday, July 19, 2018

By Ryan Martin —-

STAKES WINNERS CLASH IN FRIDAY ALLOWANCE EVENT

A competitive field has been assembled for a Friday one-mile allowance event over the Arlington International Racecourse lawn, including two stakes winners from this meet.

Breaking from post four as the morning line second-choice at odds of 7-2, Don and Joe Cochanour’s Christian C was victorious in the Black Tie Affair Stakes over the all-weather surface on June 9 following a trio of off-the-board efforts against graded stakes company.

Trained by Wayne Catalano, the 5-year-old gelded son of Kitalpha will be ridden by current Arlington leading rider Jose Valdivia, Jr. Christian C owns four other career victories in 12 career starts, including three wins against state-breds and an open company allowance victory over the turf at Arlington last August.

Chief Oakie Dokie gave trainer and co-owner Arthur Coontz his first stakes victory as well as his second career victory as a trainer when the son of Giant Oak took the Springfield Stakes on June 16 in his first start over Arlington’s synthetic main track. Two starts prior, he defeated open company on the dirt in a two-turn maiden event at Hawthorne going a distance of one mile and seventy yards.

The National Weather Service calls for 80% chance of rain on Friday afternoon.

“I’d have to see on how severe the weather is but I highly doubt I’d scratch,” Coontz said. “Naturally the Poly is supposed to be non-sloppy. He won on it last time out and so I said that afternoon after he won that he seems like he likes both surfaces.”

Coontz went out on his own last year after serving as an assistant trainer for Chris Block. So far he has only made 12 career starts as a trainer and scored his third career victory last Saturday at Fairmount Park with maiden no more Shez A Queenie.

“It was very exciting still to this day,” Coontz said of his Springfield Stakes victory. “I’ve received a DVD of the race, all my win pictures, and I have the trophy here in Springfield and it still doesn’t seem possible that it happened. That win was my family’s biggest win so far. We’re on the third generation; we’ve been doing this for sixty years.”

In addition to Christian C and Chief Oakie Dokie, Friday’s race attracted solid allowance winners from this meet such as Terry Biondo, Oak Rock Racing, L. Donohoe and Cherrywood Racing’s Blue Sky Kowboy for trainer Michele Boyce and Patricia’s Hope’s Moon Over Montana for current leading trainer Larry Rivelli. Other competitors include the Chris Block-trained pair of Bold Rally and Don’task Don’ttell, Warner Thoroughbreds, Triple R Racing and Jim and Brett Setzer’s Chris Davis trainee Hot Dad, and Carol Jetzer’s Intrepid Humor. S.D. Brilie’s Addison Cammack Memorial Handicap winner Devileye is entered for Michele Boyce on the main track only.

“I was sure it would be tough,” Coontz said. “Going forward now, the Chief has opened a lot of doors since winning the stake. Naturally, he’s opened a lot of doors to start facing tougher competition and Bold Rally is a hard hitter at seven-years-old. (Trainer) Patti Miller’s horse (Intrepid Humor) is very competitive.”

Coontz has most of his horses based at Fairmount Park just outside of St. Louis, Missouri.

“I’ve got Chief and a 3-year-old (Little Money Man) at Arlington, and a stable at Fairmount as well,” Coontz said. “I try to spend equal time in both places. I have a good staff in both places and I am currently spending a lot of time at the family farm in Springfield.”

Chief Oakie Dokie is 20-1 for Friday’s race and will receive riding services from jockey Carlos Marquez, Jr.