FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Zenner
(847) 385-7535
Cell (847) 371-1670
PADDY O’PRADO FAVORED IN GRADE I SECRETARIAT STAKES; WORKIN FOR HOPS SEEKS MID-AMERICA TRIPLE SWEEP
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS,
The Secretariat Stakes, the third leg of the Triple which began with the $100,000 Arlington Classic on May 22 and continued with the Grade II $200,000 American Derby on July 17, is a mile and a quarter turf test for international-caliber 3-year-olds and is one of three Grade I stakes races on the card that comprises Arlington’s International Festival of Racing. The others are the $1 million Arlington Million for older turf stars and its sister race, the $750,000 Beverly D., for grass distaffers.
A son of El Prado, Paddy O’Prado comes into the Secretariat off back-to-back turf tallies, taking the Grade II Colonial Turf Cup at a mile and three-sixteenths by three lengths at Colonial Downs on June 19 and returning there four weeks later to annex the Grade II Virginia Derby by 1½ lengths at the mile and a quarter distance of the Secretariat.
Never worse than third in six starts on turf, the Dale Romans trainee has drawn the rail in the seven-horse field and he will one again team with Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux.
Workin for Hops, a Mike Stidham-trained son of City Zip, was a 2 ¼-length victor in both the Arlington Classic and the American Derby. Sandwiched between those local triumphs, Workin for Hops shipped to
The only European-based runner in this year’s Secretariat is Mark Hatwin’s Wigmore Hall. The Irish-bred son of champion High Chapparal makes his North American debut after scoring victories in his previous two starts in
Lothenbach Stable’s Mister Marti Gras looks to rebound from his runner-up finish in the American Derby. The locally based son of Belong to Me won the $214,000 Oliver Stakes at Indiana Downs in his previous start June 30 after finishing fourth in the Arlington Classic over this course. Trained by Chris Block, Mister Marti Gras drew post 2 and will be ridden by Eduardo Perez. He is listed at 10-1 in the morning line.
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Secretariat Stakes Advance
August 17, 2010
Page 2
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Dean’s Kitten finished third in the American Derby but was disqualified and placed fourth for interference in the stretch. The son of 2004 Secretariat winner Kitten’s Joy ran second behind Paddy O’Prado in the Grade III Palm Beach Stakes this winter at
Completing the field for the Secretariat are James Hackman & Glenn Thompson’s Two Notch Road (Michael Baze, post 6, 12-1), fourth in the Virginia Derby and fourth in the $145,000 Jersey Derby in his last two starts; and Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust & the Estate of Hoss Inman’s Cherokee Lord (Julio Felix, post 3, 30-1), third in the Oliver Stakes and second in an allowance race over this course in his two most recent efforts.
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Sincerely,
Dave Zenner
Senior Manager of Communications
847-385-7535
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