In Today’s Notes:
- Speaking of Which Possible for Arlington Handicap
- Long-winded Frivolous Eyes Modesty
- Geroux and Rivelli Maintain Early Momentum
SPEAKING OF WHICH POSSIBLE FOR ARLINGTON HANDICAP
Irish bred and owned, trained by a Frenchman and based in New York – few horses fit the global profile of Arlington International Racecourse better than Speaking of Which – and he may just be heading to the Chicagoland oval to display such on Million Preview Day (July 12) in the Grade III $200,000 Arlington Handicap.
Owned by Moyglare Stud Farm and trained by Christophe Clement, Speaking of Which is exiting arguably the best performance of his career – a facile victory in the Grade II Monmouth Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 8 – opening up options for the talented son of Irish champion sprinter Invincible Spirit.
“We are looking at Arlington, New Jersey and Canada next. We haven’t committed yet and the plans are still up in the air,” said assistant trainer Christophe Lorieul. “The next race will be very important for him – it will help us decide on the (Grade I) Arlington Million.” While the Arlington Handicap is at the course and 1¼-miles distance of the Million, the Grade II $200,000 Nijinsky Stakes at Woodbine is at 1 1/8 miles (around one-turn) and the Grade I $500,000 United Nations at Monmouth is at 1 3/8 miles.
“When you look at his pedigree, he has a lot of natural speed being by Invincible Spirit,” Lorieul explained. “Maybe a mile and an eighth could be his best distance. Mostly it’s a question of pace as to whether he can stretch from there.”
Since arriving into Clement’s barn from that of Ireland’s Dermot Weld in the fall of 2012, the 5-year-old has done very well, including winning or hitting the board in five graded stakes. “He’s a little bit of a tricky horse to be around. The race has to go his own way,” Lorieul said. “(Winning the Grade III Tropical Turf Handicap) last fall was a very good performance, too. He can also perform on any kind of ground, but might run a little better with a little footing (cut) in the grass. But, when he won (the Monmouth Stakes) the other day and it was very firm – I guess that was just the icing on the cake.”
LONG-WINDED FRIVOLOUS EYES MODESTY
G Watt’s Humphrey’s Frivolous is eying a return to Arlington International Racecourse for the Grade III $200,000 Modesty Handicap on July 12, according to trainer Victoria Oliver. “She came out of her last race (the Grade II Fleur de Lis Stakes at Churchill Downs) very well and the Modesty is definitely possible,” said Oliver. “Distance is the number one thing with her – she needs more of it and she does well at Arlington. One of her best numbers was on the Arlington turf, but she also had one of her worst performances there. There aren’t a lot of options right now for her.”
Prior to the Fleur de Lis, the homebred daughter of Empire Maker was second in the Grade III Arlington Matron over nine local Polytrack furlongs. Last year, she finished a good fourth – beaten three-quarters of a length – in the grassy $75,000 Hatoof Stakes on Million Day. Prior to that she was second by a neck in the Grade III Arlington Oaks on the Polytrack. “She’s a versatile filly and runs on everything. She just needs the distance,” Oliver concluded.
GEROUX AND RIVELLI MAINTAIN EARLY MOMENTUM
Jockey Florent Geroux and trainer Larry Rivelli have maintained their early season leads so far in the 2014 Arlington International Racecourse meet. After both getting off to great starts in the first few weeks, neither has shown any sign of slowing.
Just over a third of the way through the meet (through Thursday), Normandy, France native Geroux holds a three-win lead over James Graham (33-30), while boasting a formidable 21% strike rate and 55% in-the-money. Despite being a tad behind his friendly francophone rival, the Irish-born Graham leads the colony in purses earned - $787,572 – about $20,000 more than Geroux. His glossy 24% strike rate is equaled only by seventh-place journeyman E. T. Baird. While Geroux has never garnered an Arlington meet title, Graham won the local title in 2011.
In 2013, Graham and Geroux finished second and third in the standings for wins. Defending meet champion Emmanuel Esquivel not surprisingly rounds out the trifecta so far in 2014 with 23 wins and is fourth in purse earnings with $502,918. Third in purse earnings with $559,219 is recently injured newcomer Sheldon Russell.
Trainer Larry Rivelli is having a phenomenal meet so far in 2014 and with 27 wins at the one-third point (through day 33 of 89 to be exact) is on pace to demolish the 39-win mark he used to become the only trainer other than Wayne Catalano to win the title in the last nine years (2011). In fact, at this pace, he would trump the 70 wins Catalano used to win last year’s meet.
Rivelli boasts an enviable 44% strike rate with 72% in-the-money – the latter mark only exceeded by meet second-place (in wins) conditioner Ingrid Mason’s 76%. While using a variety of jockeys, Rivelli is doing markedly well with Baird – teaming up for a 52% strike rate and 76% in-the-money. Speaking of teams, no duo has been more effective than the dynamic all-female dyad of Mason and Rosemary Homeister, Jr., who have teamed up to win 13 races with a 43% strike rate and 77% in-the-money.
Eleven-time meet champion Catalano, who (in late April) advised that he would have a more intense presence later in the meet, has done well from only 36 starters – boasting nine wins for a 25% strike rate and 60% in-the-money. Also having a sneaky-good meet is the oft-consistent Mike Stidham, who is a clear second in money-earned with $408,556 – about $70,000 less than Rivelli – while collecting 15 victories (third-best) with a 25% strike rate and 55% in-the-money. As far as ship-in trainers, no one has been more effectual than Tom Amoss, whose six wins from 11 starts and 82% in-the-money speak to the potent mechanics of his broad operation.
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