Arlington Park Barn Notes: Thursday, April 15, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David Zenner

(847) 385-7535

  Press Box Fax: (847) 870-6727
dzenner@arlingtonpark.com  

Barn Notes: Thursday, April 15, 2010                                                                                      

 

In Today’s Notes: 

 

·        Rivelli Has High Hopes for 3-Year-Old Yesnabay

 

RIVELLI HAS HIGH HOPES FOR 3-YEAR-OLD YESNABAY

 

            The past performances for 3-year-old gelding Yesnabay don’t exactly jump off the page at the reader, but trainer Larry Rivelli has high hopes for the son of Grand Slam.

 

            “I’m hoping that Yesnabay will win one of the legs of the Mid-America Triple,” Rivelli said Wednesday as he watched Yesnabay gallop over Arlington Park’s main track. 

 

            The Mid-America Triple, a trio of turf races for sophomores, consists of the $100,000 Arlington Classic on Saturday, May 22 at a mile and a sixteenth, continues with the Grade II $300,000 American Derby on Saturday, July 17 at a mile and three-sixteenths, and concludes with the Grade I $400,000 Secretariat Stakes at a mile and a quarter on Saturday, Aug. 21.

 

            Purchased last year by owner Richard Ravin, Yesnabay broke his maiden in at Ayr in Ireland in his second start, scoring by seven lengths in a six-furlong grass dash before coming to North America to continue his career.

 

            “We bought him last year,” Rivelli said.  “He broke his maiden in Ireland.  We went to Ireland and vetted him out.  He ran a (97) Timeform number. 

 

            “We brought him here but he didn’t acclimate real well at first but now he’s training like a serious horse and hopefully he’ll do what we think he can do,” he said.

 

            In his only North American start at two, the dark bay or brown gelding was off slow and rank in the Grade III Summer Stakes at Woodbine last September.

 

            He’s made one start so far this year, finishing last of nine in a turf dash at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

 

            Yesnabay is one of 46 horses stabled with Rivelli in Barn 9A on the Arlington backstretch.  Rivelli’s stock was among second-day arrivals on Tuesday and his horses were first to take a spin over Arlington Park’s main track Wednesday.

 

            “We’re all in,” Rivelli said borrowing the popular poker parlance.  “We’re ready to roll.  I’m a Chicago guy and this is my home.”

 

            Rivelli, who finished tied for fifth in the 2009 Arlington Park training standings with 26 victories, is hopeful for another solid season in 2010.

 

            “We’re off to a great start this year,” he said.  “I’ve won 16 out of 34 races at Hawthorne so far.  Hopefully, we can keep it going.”

 

-END-

 

 

Sincerely,

Dave Zenner

Senior Manager of Communications

Arlington Park

847-385-7535

 

 

 

 

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