Arlington “Ride to the Million” Stakes Previews

By Brian Spencer —-

THE PIZZA MAN FACES EIGHT IN FIFTH STARS AND STRIPES

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 5, 2017) – Midwest Thoroughbred’s 2015 Grade I Arlington Million winner The Pizza Man will face eight rivals as he tackles the Grade III $100,000 Stars and Stripes once again on Saturday, July 8 at Arlington International Raceourse as part of Ride to the Million presented by Miller Lite. The 86th edition will be the fifth running for the Roger Brueggemann trainee, who found victory in the 1½-miles turf stake 2014 and 2015. Breaking from post five in his second start of the season, the 8-year-old gelding by English Channel will be ridden by Florent Geroux for the first time since last June.

Looking to upset the Illinois champion will be Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s multiple stakes winner Keystoneforvictory from the barn of Mike Maker. The 4-year-old colt by Shakespeare finished third two starts back in the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, and has two wins routing over the turf at Gulfstream Park this year, most recently a 2½-length win when going 1½ miles. Julien Leparoux will pilot the colt from the rail.

Maker will also saddle Michael Hui’s Flashy Chelsey in the Stars and Stripes. The 5-year-old son of Flashy Bull was second by a neck last year in the Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He was claimed by his new connections from his most recent start at Churchill Downs on June 4 in which he finished third going 1 1/16-miles on the grass. Robby Albarado will ride from gate three.

Bodhisattva (Blake Shinn, post two), One Go All Go (Declan Cannon, post four), Applicator (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post six), Feodor (Santo Sanjur, post seven), Mongol G (Sebastian Saez, post eight) and Belomor (Carlos Marquez, Jr., post nine) complete the field.

Applicator is cross-entered in the Grade III Arlington Handicap.

SEVEN TO START IN WIDE-OPEN GRADE III AMERICAN DERBY

Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Gorgeous Kitten heads a field of seven sophomores looking to establish themselves in the 3-year-old turf division in Saturday’s Grade III $100,000 American Derby at Arlington International Racecourse. The American Derby is slated to be contested at 1 1/8 miles on the Arlington turf course and is one of four Grade III stakes offered on Saturday’s Ride to the Million card presented by Miller Lite.

Trained by Mike Maker, Gorgeous Kitten is still in search of his first stakes score, but he acquitted himself admirably behind runaway winner Cowboy Culture in the Grade III Arlington Classic on the local lawn on May 27. The son of Kitten’s Joy has only missed the board once in four lifetime turf starts and earned a stakes placing on the Polytrack in the Rushaway Stakes on March 25 at Turfway Park. He will be ridden for the first time by Robby Albarado from the rail.

The main challenge to Gorgeous Kitten may come in the form of Lothenbach Stables’ Ian Wilkes-trained Sonic Boom. A minor stakes winner in the Columbia Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in March, the son of More Than Ready was recently an impressive front-end winner in allowance company when well backed at 3-5 on the board at Churchill Downs in late May. Julien Leparoux, aboard Sonic Boom in his last three starts, will take the return call from post two.

Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Hembree will be looking for a form reversal as he gets back on the turf for the first time after two fifth-place finishes on the main track at Churchill Downs for trainer Joe Sharp. Stakes-placed on the grass, the son of Proud Citizen will be ridden by Jose Valdivia, Jr. for the first time from post four.

My Bariley (Santo Sanjur, post three), Grand Marais (Mitchell Murrill, post five), Kaliningrad (Carlos Marquez, Jr., post six) and local allowance winner Imposing Will (Julio Felix, post seven) complete the field.

TIME AND MOTION, DONA BRUJA TOP EIGHT IN GRADE III MODESTY

Phillips Racing Partnership’s Time and Motion will look to return to the winner’s circle for the first since last year’s Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in Saturday’s Grade III $100,000 Modesty Handicap at Arlington International Racecourse. Along with six others, she will face Dom Felipe LLC’s Grade III Mint Julep Handicap winner Dona Bruja (Arg), who will look to keep her North American record perfect in her second start in the United States. The Modesty will be run at 1 3/16 miles on the Arlington turf course as part of a four-stakes offering in the Ride to the Million presented by Miller Lite.

Trained by Jimmy Toner, Time and Motion landed her biggest win in last fall’s Grade I Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland but has been held winless in three starts since, two of which were in Grade I attempts. Recently a close third in the Grade III Beaugay at Belmont, the 4-year-old daughter of Tapit will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post three.

Dom Felipe LLC’s Ignacio Correas, IV-trained Dona Bruja (Arg) came to the United States with an 8-for-10 record earned her native Argentina and quickly made her talents known at Churchill Downs in June’s Grade III Mint Julep Handicap, posting a 1½-lengths win over the formidable Believe in Bertie. The 5-year-old daughter of Storm Embrujado (Arg) will be ridden by Declan Cannon, who was aboard for the Mint Julep triumph, from the rail.

Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Daring Duchess will be in search of her first graded-stakes win in Saturday’s Modesty after earning her first stakes win in the Keertana Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 27. The Mike Miker-trained 5-year-old daughter of Arch has won four races in her career and should get a forward run under Julien Leparoux from post seven.

The locals are led by Darrell and Sadie Brommer’s Chris Block-trained Prado’s Sweet Ride, who fell short as the even-money favorite in last month’s Mike Spellman Memorial Handicap at Arlington but won the New Orleans Ladies Overnight Stakes two starts back at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on April 1. Her conditioner suggested that the boggy going may have contributed to her defeat last out and that she may bounce back on firmer ground Saturday under Carlos Marquez, Jr. from post two.

Bonita Cat (Santo Sanjur, post four), Stormin Elle (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post five), One Liz (Mitchell Murrill, post six) and La Piba (Jose Lopez, post eight) complete the field.
The top three finishers in the Modesty receive entry with starting fees waived into the Grade I Beverly D. on Aug. 12, a “Win and You’re In” event for the Grade I $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 4.

KASAQUI LOOKS TO REPEAT IN GRADE III ARLINGTON HANDICAP

Victorious in last year’s edition, Wimborn Farm’s Kasaqui (ARG) will attempt to repeat the effort in the 82nd running of the Grade III $100,000 Arlington Handicap on Saturday, July 8 at Arlington International Racecourse as part of Ride to the Million presented by Miller Lite.

Kasaquie, trained by Ignacio Correas, IV, is coming off a win in the Grade II Wise Dan Stakes at Churchill Downs last month, his first since the 2016 Arlington Handicap which preceded a runner-up finish in the Grade I Arlington Million behind Mondialiste. The 7-year-old son of Lasting Approval will be piloted from gate five by James Graham as he faces eight rivals going 1 3/16 miles on the turf.

Michael Hui’s Taghleeb, trained by Mike Maker, kicked off his 6-year-old season with a win in the Grade III W. L. McKnight Handicap at Gulfstream Park on the Pegasus World Cup undercard in January before running second in the Grade I Man O’ War stakes at Belmont in May. He most recently failed to menace in the two-mile Grade III Belmont Gold Cup Invitational. The son of Hard Spun will break from the rail under Robby Albarado.

Olympic Star, Inc.’s Applicator, also cross-entered into the Grade III Stars and Stripes, was second by a length two starts back in the Grade III Miami Mile at Gulfstream Park for trainer Mikhail Yanakov. The 4-year-old gelding by Henrythenavigator will be piloted from post eight by Arlington’s leading rider Jose Valdivia, Jr.

Darby Dan Farm Racing’s Manitoulin will look to extend his winning streak to three as he steps up off two easy allowance scores at Keeneland and Belmont. Trained by Jimmy Toner, the 4-year-old son of Awesome Again will be trying stakes company for just the second time in his career when he partners with Florent Geroux from post three.

Cammack (Carlos Marquez, Jr., post two), Crewman (Blake Shinn, post four), Ghost Hunter (Edwin Gonzalez, post six), Oak Brook (Santo Sanjur, post seven) and Sir Dudley Digges (Julien Leparoux, post nine) complete the field.

The top three finishers in the Arlington Handicap receive entry with starting fees waived into the Grade I Arlington Million on Aug. 12, a “Win and You’re In” event for the Grade I $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar Racetrack Nov. 4.

Arlington International Racecourse – the Chicago area’s premier Thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Ill. – will run a 71-day meet in 2017 from Friday, May 5 through September 23. Arlington International Racecourse, whose parent company is Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), also operates 10 off-track, simulcast-wagering facilities in Aurora, Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Waukegan, Villa Park, Rockford, Hodgkins, McHenry, Green Oaks and Orland Hills. Arlington International Racecourse is a proud member of America’s Best Racing. Information on Arlington International Racecourse and Trackside OTB can be found online at www.arlingtonpark.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arlingtonpark and www.facebook.com/tracksideotb, and on Twitter at @Arlington_Park for the latest happenings, @arlingtonracing for the latest racing news and @tracksideotb for all things pertaining to off-track wagering.