FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Graham Ross
(847) 385-7558
Press Box Fax: (847) 870-6727
graham.ross@arlingtonpark.com
Barn Notes: Thursday, September 23, 2010
In Today’s Notes:
· General Charley Challenges
· Workin for Hops’ Little Sister Seeks First Kiss and Run Friday
· Reminder: Friday’s First Post at 1 p.m.
GENERAL CHARLEY CHALLENGES
Red Rabbit Racing’s General Charley, with five wins from five starts at Arlington Park this season, could equal Arlington’s all-time record of six wins from six starts should the popular 8-year-old gelding with the gigantic local fan club capture Friday’s seventh race.
At the present time, Peter Abruzzo and George Todaro’s The Lord’s Tune is the only horse to win six races from six starts during a single season at Chicago’s northwest oval, a mark that the daughter of Relaunch a Tune established during Arlington’s 2001 meeting while trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who went on to be Arlington’s leading trainer that season.
“We’ve hung a huge sign outside Charley’s stall,” said an enthusiastic Rick Johnson of Red Rabbit Racing when speaking Thursday of the anticipation surrounding Friday’s race. “Nevertheless, we could run dead last tomorrow and we’ll still be very proud of him. We’ve had a lot of fun all summer long with Charley and that’s always been the whole idea of Red Rabbit Racing. I expect we’ll have a bundle of people on hand to join us in the winner’s circle should we be fortunate enough to win.”
General Charley has been pegged as the 9-2 third choice in the morning line for Friday’s race at about one mile over
“Charley is doing fine,” said trainer Chris Block during training hours Thursday morning. “He breezed a half the other day (Saturday) in 49 flat. We’re facing a little deeper competition tomorrow than what he’s been seeing up to now, but we’ll see what happens. He’s doing good.”
Earlier this summer, Johnson said, “Red Rabbit Racing is a family Thoroughbred horseracing partnership created in 2004. The initial investors were the late Richard Johnson, Peggy (Johnson) Lenz, Jean (Johnson) Gallo, Jeff Johnson and Rick Johnson.
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Barn Notes
September 23, 2010
Page 2
“Jean is my sister, Peggy is my aunt and Jeff is a cousin,” Johnson said, “but my Dad originally started the whole operation before his death. The name Red Rabbit comes from the nickname of the late Russell Johnson, who was father to Peggy and Richard and grandfather to Jean, Jeff and me.”
WORKIN FOR HOPS’ LITTLE SISTER SEEKS FIRST KISS AND RUN FRIDAY
Estrorace LLC’s Workin for Hops captured the 75th renewal of the $100,000 Arlington Classic and the 96th running of the Grade II American Derby earlier this season but finished third in the Grade I Secretariat Stakes on Arlington Million Day to foil his bid for a sweep of
However, here comes Workin for Hops’ little (half) sister – Estrorace LLC and Rookie Thoroughbred’s Cryptocandiac – who will make the first start of her career in Friday’s sixth race.
Both Workin for Hops and Cryptocandiac are out of the mare Citi Pearl, a daughter of Citidancer who has previously had four foals, all of which are winners, with three of those four winning on the grass.
Workin for Hops, by City Zip, was bred by Amy Bondon (Estrorace LLC) and Tom McNally in
REMINDER: FRIDAY’S FIRST POST AT 1 P.M.
The earlier than usual Friday post time will be in advance of
Prior to being named the winner of season nine of American Idol in May, DeWyze appeared in a concert at
Tickets are still available for Friday’s concert, which will begin at 7:30 p.m., shortly after the day’s racing program. Fans attending Friday’s races will be allowed to stay for the DeWyze “Coming Home” concert without additional charge.
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