FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In Today's Notes:
- The Pizza Man a Proud Project for Papiese
- Schwartz Goes for Four with Alterite
- Admiral Kitten Reverses Course, to Run in American St. Leger
- Chad Brown Trio Work toward Festival
THE PIZZA MAN A PROUD PROJECT FOR PAPIESE
Richard and Karen Papiese's Midwest Thoroughbreds operation has spent a great deal of its meteoric rise developing horses in the claiming ranks and winning at a high percentage in abundance. That is all in the process of changing – evolving, rather – in all the right ways as the husband and wife team hone their focus on the quality of their stock, as opposed to the quantity. Their homebred charge, The Pizza Man, is the poster gelding for such a campaign. A strapping son of Turf champion English Channel, The Pizza Man heads into next Saturday's Listed $400,000 American St. Leger in the best shape of his career, while riding a four-stakes win streak under four different jockeys.
"He's training better than ever," Papiese reported. "(Trainer) Roger (Brueggemann) feels that he has never been better. I don't know if that results in a win, but I'm not going to worry about the competition. We'll just worry about our horse."
The American St. Leger – at the obscure distance of 1 11/16-miles – is a marathon beyond the scope of many American horses' breeding and collective ability and the likes of which those who do compete at it will probably never see again. Still, such a challenge does not bother The Pizza Man's connections. A maternal son of stamina-laden Lear Fan, the tall bay 5-year-old will be making his third start at a marathon distance and second consecutive since establishing his new niche.
"We feel like he can run all day," Papiese continued. "Obviously the competition will be a different level, but you just go there and run your race. He won't embarrass us; he'll show up and run. And, as an owner, you just want a horse to run his race."
Last out, in the Grade III $150,000 Stars and Stripes at 1½-miles, The Pizza Man took advantage of a lack of pace and led wire-to-wire for the first time in his 16-race, four-season career. "I don't think we'll see him on the front," Papiese forecasted. "That was just how the race unfolded last time with no pace. He just loped up to the front and (jockey) Florent (Geroux) was able to get the most out of him." Geroux has the return call in the American St. Leger.
A gelding who has won his four aforementioned stakes by a combined 1½ lengths, The Pizza Man has done just enough to get the job done. "He steps his game up to where it needs to be in each race," Papiese continued. "He's not going to blow anybody away, but he's a very good horse. If he fits and runs his race, then we'll let him take us to other big races down the road. It's a question of how he comes out and how he performs. The thing about him is that he knows where the wire is."
If The Pizza Man defeats what is projected to be a very talented field, including defending champion Dandino, speedy Grade II San Juan Capistrano winner Big Kick and local rival Suntracer, it will mean a lot to his connections. "Obviously I want to win that race for a lot of reasons," Papiese said soberly. "But, mostly I want to win for the horse. He loves to compete, he loves to run and he's special to us."
Papiese also took the time to update about his other stable star, reigning Illinois Horse of the Year Work All Week. A multiple stakes-winning sprinter who exits a rare loss (in which he carred 130 pounds and gave 11 of those to the winner) in the Addison Cammack Handicap, Work All Week has been given a brief breather.
"He's good right now. I'm giving him a little bit of time and we're looking at Keeneland and Belmont (for his next race)," he reported. "He's a solid horse and one of the best in Midwest. I would also say he is one of the best five or six sprinters in the country; I'm being realistic – he just fits." Not one to bluff his confidence, nor duck a challenge, Papiese confirmed he has an eye on the Grade I Breeders' Cup Sprint for the son of City Zip at the end of the season.
"I never thought we would have two homebreds performing so well," he concluded with an air of satisfaction. "We're very proud of them."
SCHWARTZ GOES FOR FOUR WITH ALTERITE
Owner Martin Schwartz has done something no other owner has done, and that is prove victorious in three editions of the Grade I Beverly D. at Arlington international Racecourse. Not only has he won three of the last nine with only four starters his fourth starter finished – you guessed it – on the board (third).
"I love the race! It's my favorite, other than the Breeders' Cup, and I try to have a horse for it whenever I can," Schwartz said. "Though I do not personally know Mr. Duchossois, I respect him a lot. He is an extraordinary host and love coming to Arlington."
A Wall Street trader who has spent nearly four decades building his wealth on the stock market, Schwartz has not done too terribly with his equine investments, either. In addition to his triad of Beverly D. wins (Gorella, Angara and Stacelita), he has won two French classics, one Irish classic and a Breeders' Cup. He will try to keep his name associated with such success when he sends out the Chad Brown-trained Alterite next Saturday.
A talented French-bred filly who, like all three of her victorious predecessors, started her career in France, Alterite was classic-placed in her home country before coming to the United States and winning the Grade I Garden City at Belmont Park in her first start for Brown. Since then, she has competed in three other American Grade I races, including the Diana Stakes at Saratoga on July 19 – her first outing since finishing an excellent third in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
"I feel very good with her and am hoping to win. She was coming off the layoff last out and was competing in her eighth consecutive Grade I," Schwartz explained. "She's a terrific horse. She should have won the (Group I) Saint-Alary last year and lost to Treve in the (Group I) Prix de Diane before that filly went on to win the Arc. She should have won the (Group I) 'QE-II', as well, in her second start here – and then we ran her in the Breeders' Cup on three weeks' (rest) and paid a little price," he continued. "We were pressing the envelope and she had to have a chip removed. But, most of the great races are in the second half of the year, so we weren't too worried.
"Chad would have preferred a prep before Diana, but she had seven breezes going in and was fit. She was very fresh, throwing her head about and had a hard time trying to settle down. Sometimes if you haven't run a while, you run a little faster than you would prefer – but the race should help her a lot. As a trainer once told me – one race is worth four breezes."
When it comes to comparing his star fillies of the past with that of his present, Schwartz is quick to illustrate. "Stacelita was one of a kind and the best horse I'll ever own," he said. "Gorella was pretty special and so was Angara, but it remains to be seen with Alterite. Hopefully she'll have a big race next Saturday and we'll be able to speak about her in those terms. We'll take her to the (Grade I) Flower Bowl (Invitational) and the Breeders' Cup if she acquits herself well."
Whatever minimal uncertainty Schwartz may possibly have about his chances for a fourth Beverly D., such is thwarted by his confidence in the experience he expects to once again receive upon arrival. "The race is a wonderful and the hospitality is the absolute best – and I'll be bringing about 12 to 14 people and hopefully will be able to rival Ramsey's crew," he heartily laughed in conclusion.
ADMIRAL KITTEN REVERSES COURSE, TO RUN IN AMERICAN ST. LEGER
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's Admiral Kitten is now expected to compete in the Listed $400,000 American St. Leger at Arlington International Racecourse for trainer Mike Maker. Originally reported to be aimed at the Grade II Sky Classic Stakes at Woodbine in lieu of the International Festival of Racing, the son of Kitten's Joy is now expected to run at the Chicagoland oval.
Excellent over Arlington's lawn, the bay 4-year-old colt was last seen finishing a nose second in the Grade III Arlington Handicap behind Donegal Racing's expected Grade I Arlington Million starter Finnegans Wake. Last year, Admiral Kitten won the Grade I Secretariat Stakes – the marquee victory of his 15-race career – on Million Day. Though unsuccessful in his only try at a marathon distance in the Grade II Pan American Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March, he does have a sterling record at Arlington – finishing first or second in all four starts – all in graded stakes.
Maker will be well represented on Million Day. He also trains Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable's Moro Tap, who is expected to be entered in the American St. Leger after a wide and unlucky trip saw him finish fourth in the course prep, the Grade III Stars and Stripes on July 12 over 1½-miles (3/16ths of a mile shorter than the American St. Leger). The Kentucky-based conditioner also has General Jack for the Grade I Secretariat Stakes. A winner last out in the Listed Centaur Stakes at Indiana Grand, he is co-owned by Thomas Conway. While Robby Albarado is expected to ride Moro Tap and General Jack, Julien Leparoux is booked to ride Admiral Kitten and has ridden the charge in two of his four victories.
"Everybody's doing great," Maker reported on Saturday morning. "Mr. Ramsey had Charming Kitten in the St. Leger, but he got hurt – so they wanted to run (Admiral Kitten)." As far as his improving sophomore General Jack – a well bred son of Giant's Causeway out of multiple graded turf stakes winner J'ray – Maker seems very confident. "He's on top of his game." The conditioner confirmed that the three horses would arrive on Friday, the day prior to the Festival.
CHAD BROWN TRIO WORK TOWARD FESTIVAL
Trainer Chad Brown holds an enviably hot hand in the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D. with the likes of Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's Stephanie's Kitten and Martin Schwartz's Alterite. Both fillies worked Saturday morning at Saratoga on the Oklahoma training track's turf course – each managing five furlongs in 1:01.44. Also working the same course and distance for the conditioner was Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's defending Arlington Million champion Real Solution. The son of Kitten's Joy negotiated his final serious work before returning to Arlington in 1:01.47. Javier Castellano is going to ride Real Solution and Alterite, while Stephanie's Kitten gets the return services of Frankie Dettori.
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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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