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DANDINO SHOOTING FOR AMERICAN ST. LEGER REPEAT
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (Aug. 13, 2014) – Since its creation in 2012, the American St. Leger has belonged to Darren Dance's Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock and trainer Marco Botti. First with the globetrotting Jakkalberry in the inaugural running of the 1 11/16-mile race and then with Dandino last year, who returns for a repeat bid in Saturday's Listed $400,000 race.
The 7-year-old son of Dansili has only made two starts this year each resulting in sixth-place finishes in Group II competition; first in the Hardwicke Stakes and most recently in the Princess of Wales's Stakes. The defending champion, who has been installed as the 3-1 favorite on the morning line, will pick up the services of Frankie Dettori, who was aboard Dandino when he ran second in the 2013 Hardwicke.
As in 2013, one of his main threats will come from Team Block's locally based Suntracer, who was beaten just a half-length by Dandino. Despite the fact that the 6-year-old son of Kitten's Joy hasn't won since capturing the 2012 Robert F. Carey Memorial Handicap at Hawthorne Race Course, he seldom fails to compete in Graded competition over marathon distances – most recently finishing third in the Grade III Stars and Stripes Stakes at 1½-miles over this course in July. Second choice in the morning line at odds of 4-1, the fast-closing Chris Block trainee will benefit should a fast pace develop up front. Eclipse Award-winning jockey Javier Castellano will ride the Illinois-bred horse for the first time in the American St. Leger.
Another from the home team hoping to dethrone the defending champion is Midwest Thoroughbreds' The Pizza Man, who picked up his fourth straight victory as the gate-to-wire winner in the Stars and Stripes last out after setting glacial fractions in that race. The 5-year-old English Channel gelding, trained by Roger Brueggemann, does not require the lead to do his best bidding as his previous tallies have come from off the pace. The 9-2 third choice in the early odds, The Pizza Man will be ridden once again by Florent Geroux.
Besides Dandino, the overseas contingent for the American St. Leger consists of Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier's Eye of The Storm; Mick and Janice Mariscotti's Havana Beat; and Eliza Park International Sun Kingdom's Moment In Time.
Both Eye of The Storm and Havana Beat are entering off victorious efforts with the former capturing Group III Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown on Aug. 7 and the latter winning the Coral Marathon Esher Stakes at Sandown in July. The 4-year-old Eye of The Storm, an Irish-bred son of Galileo hails from the Aidan O'Brien yard and will be ridden by Ryan Moore, who won last year's edition of this race. Havana Beat, an Irish-bred 4-year-old son of Teofilo, is trained by Andrew Balding and will be ridden by Joel Rosario.
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American St. Leger Advance
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August 13, 2014
Moment In Time, a Group III winner and the lone mare in the American St. Leger, just missed in her most recent trip to the post when second in the Chalise Stakes on Aug. 3 at Newbury. The 5-year-old daughter of Tiger Hill shipped to North America last year and ran third in the Grade I E. P. Taylor at Woodbine last October. Trained by David Simcock, who won the 2012 Grade I Beverly D. with I'm A Dreamer, Moment In Time will be ridden Saturday by Jamie Spencer.
Representing the United States are Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's Admiral Kitten; Ernest Marchowsky, Ken Shaw, Kate Walters and Lo Hi Stable's Big Kick; Andrew Bentley Stables' Hardest Core; Team Valor International's Infinite Magic; and Skychai Racing, Sand Dollar Stable, Terry Raymond and Jana Wagner's Moro Tap.
Of these, both Admiral Kitten and Infinite Magic are winners over the Arlington turf course. The former, a Mike Maker-trained son of Kitten's Joy, captured last year's Grade I Secretariat Stakes at 1¼ miles and rallied to finish second in the Grade III Arlington Handicap last out. Julien Leparoux gets a return call to ride the 4-year-old colt.
Infinite Magic, winner of the 2013 Grade III American Derby, enters after finishing last of six in the Arlington Handicap on July 12. Transferred to the locally based barn of leading trainer Wayne Catalano following that race, the 4-year-old More Than Ready ridgling will again be ridden by Channing Hill.
Big Kick won the Grade II San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita last time out for trainer Mike Machowsky. James Graham picks up the mount astride the 5-year-old Tiznow gelding; the Mike Maker-trained Moro Tap enters off a fourth in the Stars and Stripes and will be ridden by Robby Albarado; and Hardest Core, cross-entered in the Arlington Million, won the Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park for trainer Edward Graham and jockey Eriluis Vaz last out.
The St. Leger is one of four major turf races to comprise Arlington's International Festival of Racing, that is highlighted by the 32nd edition of the Grade I Arlington Million and includes the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes and the Grade I $500,000 Secretariat Stakes. The race will also kick off a 50-cent Pick 5 wager with a $100,000 guaranteed pool and a takeout rate of just 15 percent.
Arlington International Racecourse – the Chicago area's premier Thoroughbred racetrack located in Arlington Heights, Ill. – will run an 89-day meet in 2014 from Friday, May 2 through Sunday, Sept. 28. Arlington International Racecourse, whose parent company is Churchill Downs Incorporated (Nasdaq: CHDN), also operates 11 off-track, simulcast-wagering facilities in Arlington Heights, Aurora, Chicago, East Moline, Waukegan, Villa Park, Rockford, South Elgin, Hodgkins, McHenry and Orland Hills. Arlington International Racecourse is a proud member of America's Best Racing. Information on Arlington International Racecourse and Trackside OTB can be found online at www.arlingtonpark.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/arlingtonpark and www.facebook.com/tracksideotb, and on Twitter at @Arlington_Park for the latest happenings, @arlingtonracing for the latest racing news and @tracksideotb for all things pertaining to off-track wagering.
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