FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michael Adolphson
(847) 385-7558
Press Box Fax: (847) 870-6727
Michael.Adolphson@ArlingtonPark.com
(847) 385-7558
Press Box Fax: (847) 870-6727
Michael.Adolphson@ArlingtonPark.com
International Festival of Racing Notes: Thursday, August 07, 2014
In Today’s Notes:
- Mott Confident in Festival Duo
- Admiral Kitten out of Million
- Big Kick Confirmed for American St. Leger, Charming Kitten out
- Flamboyant and Can’thelpbelieving Probable for Secretariat, Schoolofhardrocks out
- Aigue Marine and Tannery Possible for Beverly D.
MOTT CONFIDENT IN FESTIVAL DUO
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has twice won the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D. and Grade I $500,000 Secretariat Stakes, respectively, and brings a small but potent hand into the International Festival of Racing on Aug. 16 with Juddmonte Farm’s Emollient for the former and WinStar Farm and Gary Barber’s promising Tourist for the latter.
Emollient, third in last year’s Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf behind Beverly D. winner Dank, enters the Arlington centerpiece for distaffers with a resume that includes three Grade I wins. Last out, she had a very rough trip in the Grade I Diana Stakes at Saratoga, checking twice and finishing ninth of 10 – a rare poor finish from the homebred daughter of Empire Maker.
“She’s doing fine. She had a nice breeze on the grass (on Sunday) and will probably come back this weekend and breeze again,” Mott reported. The bay filly worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on the Oklahoma training track’s turf course and will have Joel Rosario – who weathered her hellish trip last out – in the saddle at Arlington International Racecourse. Rosario will also be aboard the talented and lightly raced sophomore Tourist in the Secretariat.
“His last two races have been very good,” Mott said. “The turf has helped him out and he’s responded well to it.”
Mott’s statements do not fully express the dominance the WinStar homebred has shown since switching to the lawn. In three grass starts, the son of Tiznow has won by a total of nine lengths and been geared down at the end of each victory. In fact, he has not been headed in his last two races, including a tour-de-force in the restricted $100,000 Sir Cat Stakes where he defeated Grade II Tampa Bay Derby winner Ring Weekend and earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure – the highest of any 3-year-old on the grass in 2014.
“He’s a pretty horse and is doing great,” Mott said. “I’m very happy with him. Both my horses are excellent right now.” When asked if he could possibly run Juddmonte Farm’s Seek Again – who is entered in this weekend’s Grade II Fourstardave Stakes at Saratoga – in the Grade I Arlington Million, “If we decide not to run him this weekend, then we’ll go to the Million.”
ADMIRAL KITTEN OUT OF MILLION
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Admiral Kitten is out of consideration for the Arlington Million, according to his owner. Last out a nose second in the course and distance preparatory Grade III Arlington Handicap and a winner in last year’s Grade I Secretariat Stakes at the International Festival of Racing, the son of Kitten’s Joy had long been expected to join defending Million champion, stablemate and paternal half-brother Real Solution in the gate on Aug. 16.
“I don’t want to run them against each other,” Ken Ramsey explained. “In my humble opinion Real Solution is the better of the two and we want to put Admiral Kitten in a spot where he can win. We are sending him up to Canada to the (Grade II $200,000) Sky Classic (Stakes) at Woodbine. I had originally intended to run them against each other (in the Million). If I thought he could go the distance in the American St. Leger, I would run him there – but I don’t think he can get it.”
The Sky Classic, like the Million, is at 1¼-miles on the grass. The race is also possible for Arlington Handicap winner Finnegan’s Wake. Interestingly, the event is also probable to receive the minor half of another powerhouse stable – Sam-Son Farm – which is sending its Up With the Birds to the Million and Aldous Snow to the Sky Classic.
BIG KICK CONFIRMED FOR AMERICAN ST. LEGER, CHARMING KITTEN OUT
Big Kick, impressive wire-to-wire winner of the about 1¾-miles Grade II San Juan Capistrano in June, has been confirmed for the Listed $400,000 American St. Leger by his connections. Trained by Mike Machowsky and owned by Ernest Marchowsky et al, the son of Tiznow has been training well at his Del Mar base and been on the fence for the race since early July. His presence ensures a solid pace presence in the race, which saw its prep race – the Grade III Stars and Stripes – unfold without a pacesetter and won by Midwest Thoroughbreds’ The Pizza Man, who set glacial fractions throughout.
Joining Big Kick in the confirmation list is Mick and Janice Mariscotti’s lightly raced Havana Beat. A son of European champion juvenile Teofilo, Havana Beat was last seen finishing eighth of 13 in the Group I Ascot Gold Cup for trainer Andrew Balding. The bay 4-year-old gelding, who has only raced nine times, hails from the same training yard as last year’s Million third-place finisher Side Glance.
On the ‘out list’ for the American St. Leger is one if its key players, Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Charming Kitten. Expected to be one of the favorites by virtue of his impressive win in the inaugural Belmont Gold Cup at two miles in June, the Todd Pletcher trainee was removed from consideration Thursday afternoon.
“Similar to last year with Dark Cove, we have to remove him close to the race,” reported Ken Ramsey. “He’s having some ankle issues. Todd thought he was off – and he is. There are no fractures, according to Dr. Larry Bramlage, and we’re sending him back to the farm for some R&R. He’s been going quite a while. We don’t want to take a chance with a condylar fracture, which is what can happen in as situation like that.” Last year, Ramsey’s Dark Cove entered the American St. Leger as one of the two big favorites (along with eventual winner Dandino), only to be forced to scratch with an injury.
Also out of consideration for the American St. Leger is Andrew Black and Owen Promotions’ Brown Panther. Expected to be well supported at the windows in the 1 11/16-miles event, the son of Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Shirocco finished a good fourth in the Group I Ascot Gold Cup in June and was recently third behind one of the best marathoners in the world – Godolphin’s Cavalryman – when defending his title in the Group II Goodwood Cup on July 31. Originally under strong consideration to run in the American St. Leger on short rest, he has now been withdrawn by trainer Tom Dascombe.
FLAMBOYANT AND CAN’THELPBELIEVING PROBABLE FOR SECRETARIAT, SCHOOLOFHARDROCKS OUT
David Bienstock and Charles Winner’s Flamboyant and Albert Frassetto’s Can’thelpbelieving are now probable for the Grade I $500,000 Secretariat Stakes on the Arlington Million undercard on Aug. 16, according to their trainers.
“He worked this morning – a nice six furlongs (at Del Mar),” trainer Paddy Gallagher said of the French-bred and formerly French-trained Flamboyant. “If he goes there, I wouldn’t breeze him again. We’re still thinking about it. He’s acting the same as he always has and is feeling great.”
The son of Peer Gynt was last seen finishing a useful third in the Grade I Belmont Derby Invitational going the same 1¼-miles distance as the Secretariat, defying his 19-1 odds. Prior to that, he was a head second in the prep for the Belmont Derby – the 1 1/8-miles Pennine Ridge Stakes – and landed the La Puente Stakes one race prior at Santa Anita in his American debut after six starts in France under the tutelage of Jean-Claude Rouget.
Can’thelpbelieving was also in the Pennine Ridge – finishing a good third, 1¼ lengths behind Flamboyant – before winning a Saratoga allowance race last out against older horses at 1 3/8-miles for trainer Graham Motion. The son of European champion Duke of Marmalade has a pedigree stacked with stamina and has improved as the distances have increased.
“He’s doing super,” Motion reported. “I plan to work him this weekend. He’s coming off a pretty comfy win, which has given us confidence and we’ve been anxious to get him at that distance and around three turns. We probably could have gone onto the Belmont Derby, but I wanted to try him at more distance.
“Everyone loves competing in this Festival at Arlington and it’s very special. I hope I can make it there, but I know a lot will be happening at Saratoga for my other horses, as well,” he continued. “Races like (the Secretariat) - going the distance he wants – they are few and far between. We’re going to step it up and see what we got.”
Trainer David Hofmans reported that Amerman Racing’s Schoolofhardrocks – originally expected to return to Arlington after a good fourth in the Grade III American Derby – is out of the Secretariat. “There has been a change of plans. There were issues with flights and I just didn’t want to go through that again,” Hofmans said. “We’ll run him this weekend in the La Jolla here at Del Mar.”
AIGUE MARINE AND TANNERY POSSIBLE FOR BEVERLY D.
The already deep waters of the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D. became possibly even more cavernous with the potential additions of Haras du Mezeray and Skymarc Farm’s Aigue Marine and Richard Santulli’s Tannery. Both are labeled as ‘possible’ and fit form-wise in what is already expected to be flush with Grade I and Group I winners.
“We are still on the fence, but she did have a very good work this morning,” said Christophe Lorieul, assistant to Aigue Marine’s conditioner Christophe Clement. “We will make a decision tomorrow morning. She’s doing better than ever. It’s a bit ambitious, but we’re going to watch the weather forecast. She prefers a little cut in the ground.”
A well bred daughter of Galileo, Aigue Marine exits the best race of her eight American races since leaving France, a facile victory in the Grade III Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park over 1 3/8-miles. The bay 5-year-old mare has finished in the top three in 12 of 15 starts, including three graded stakes placings. Interestingly, she has not raced shorter than 1 5/16-miles since her debut at a mile in October of 2011.
Like Aigue Marine, Tannery has always been well regarded, but unlike her she exits one of her poorest showings in the Grade I Diana Stakes at Saratoga in July. A six-time stakes winner who won the Grade I E. P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine in 2013, the Irish-bred daughter of Dylan Thomas was last of 10 in the Diana after racing closer to the pace than usual.
________________________________
This Churchill Downs Incorporated communication (including any attachments) is intended for the use of the intended recipient(s) only and may contain information that is confidential, privileged or legally protected. Any unauthorized use or dissemination of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender by return e-mail message and delete all copies of the original communication. Thank you for your cooperation.
