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Contact: Michael Adolphson
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Barn Notes: Thursday, May 29, 2014
In Today’s Notes:
- Eoin Harty Brings High Profile Barn to Arlington
- Good Bye Greg Woody Stephens-Bound after Bullet Work
EOIN HARTY BRINGS HIGH PROFILE BARN TO ARLINGTON
Nationally renowned conditioner Eoin Harty has taken up residence with a 24-stall contingent this season at Arlington International Racecourse. The Irish-born ex-Bob Baffert assistant has been a force at the highest level since going out on his own in 2000, including wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Travers Stakes and Dubai World Cup. He also keeps an impressive clientele, including Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley Stable, WinStar Farm and Bill Casner.
“It’s such a beautiful facility with a phenomenal track and backside. We’re really happy to be here,” Harty said. “Hopefully we can develop some good horses and win some races.”
With the majority of his horses at his home base in California, Harty usually keeps a string of horses at Keeneland to train over the Polytrack course at the Lexington course. “We were kind of blindsided by Keeneland closing to install the new track, so we needed a place to go with some horses,” he explained. “The Polytrack surface here is very similar.”
As far as the stock itself, the Harty barn is not lacking in possible star power. “There is a nice mix here. We think we’ll compete well,” he explained. “We have everything from 2-year-olds to possible stakes horses. Most of these are owned by Mr. Casner.”
Included in those horses – and stabled beside one another – are the well regarded charges Only in America and Seal Six. The former is a 4-year-old full-brother to Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed and the latter a full-brother to Travers winner Colonel John. Both are by star sire Tiznow. “Both horses are coming along very well. I will be disappointed if they don’t get a win here,” Harty said.
The multiple Grade I-winning conditioner also keeps his human stock of the highest level. Assistant Whit Beckman, previously an assistant with Todd Pletcher, heads the local stable. “He runs a solid operation and has obviously been successful in the past and present,” Beckman said of Harty. “I think we’ll do very well this season.” Beckman is no stranger to success and developing solid horses, as he had worked closely with such Grade I winners as Uncle Mo, Stay Thirsty and R Heat Lightning.
The Harty barn, though it is still searching for its first victory in four races this season, has finished second twice and third once in that quartet of attempts. Things could change quickly on Friday, May 30, as the stable has three entries in two races, including the aforementioned Only in America.
GOOD BYE GREG WOODY STEPHENS-BOUND AFTER BULLET WORK
Patricia’s Hope LLC’s Good Bye Greg, who lit up the track on Derby Day at Arlington International Racecourse, has big plans according to trainer Larry Rivelli. The muscular bay worked six furlongs Wednesday morning in 1:12.60 – best of five moves – in what was his third drill since his 13-length evisceration of his maiden special weight debut competition.
“He worked awesome,” Rivelli exclaimed. “We are going to run him in the (Grade II $500,000) Woody Stephens on Belmont Day. I normally don’t do that sort of thing, but this horse is the real deal. His Beyer number was around 96 or 97 and he came out of it so well. We are going to take a shot. He couldn’t be training any better. I think he’s going to run big.”
In the work itself, the grandson of English champion Known Fact also impressed his conditioner with the gallop out. “He was out seven furlongs in 1:25,” Rivelli reported. “I think seven-eighths will be perfect for him. I’m not sure anything beyond one turn will suit him, but he could probably run up to a mile around one turn.”
The Woody Stephens – previously the Riva Ridge – historically attracts the best sophomore sprinters in the land and has previously been won by such standouts as Fly So Free, Coronado’s Quest, Lost in the Fog and Good Bye Greg’s sire Teuflesberg.
“If he can control the pace of the race and then push his button, he’s really dangerous,” Rivelli explained of the colt making his dirt debut. “He trained really well on the dirt at Hawthorne. But, of course, you never know until you race over it. (E. T.) Baird is going to ride him again.”
-END-
David Zenner│Senior Manager of Communications
Arlington International Racecourse
2200 W. Euclid Ave. Arlington Heights IL 60006-0007
P 847.385.7535│C: 847.371.1670 | F: 847.870.6727│E: David.Zenner@arlingtonpark.com
Twitter: @dave_zenner, @arlingtonracing
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