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Million Preview Day features competitive fields for stakes
quartet
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| Triple Threat and Middleburg
(white cap) duked it out in the Monmouth S.
(Bill Denver/Equi-Photo) |
Triple Threat
(Monsun), The Pizza Man (English Channel) and Up With the Birds (Stormy
Atlantic) square off as part of a highly competitive field of accomplished older horses in the 80th running
of the $100,000
Arlington H. (G3) on Saturday afternoon over Arlington's turf
course.
The 1 3/16-mile local prep for the $1 million Arlington Million (G1) has
drawn a 10-horse field, many of whom are looking to take advantage of its guaranteed entry
into said marquee event with a top-three finish.
The Bill Mott-trained Triple Threat enters the Arlington 'Cap off a nose
victory in the Monmouth S. (G2) on June 7, which also served as his U.S. debut.
The French-bred dark bay is hoping to use the race as a springboard to the
Million, a race to which he was aimed last year while under the tutelage of
Andre Fabre but did not enter after a series of poor showings in his native
France.
Jose Lezcano was aboard for the Monmouth S. and gets the return call
Saturday.
One cannot mention Triple Threat without doing so for Middleburg (Lemon Drop
Kid). That half-brother to
Winchester (Theatrical), who romped in the 2008 Secretariat S. (G1) while making
his U.S. bow, just missed in the Monmouth S. following a third-place effort in
the Fort Marcy S. (G3) on May 2. The improving five-year-old owns just 14
lifetime starts and tried stakes rivals for the first time in the Fort Marcy.
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Arlington's 2014 champion jockey James Graham makes his first appearance of
the 2015 meet on Saturday and rides Middleburg for trainer Christophe Clement.
The Pizza Man enters the Arlington 'Cap as the 121-pound highweight in what will be only his second
race of the year. The six-year-old gelding, hero of last year's Stars and
Stripes S. (G3) and American St. Leger, was cross-entered to that former race by
trainer Roger Brueggemann and gets Florent Geroux in the irons. The duo paired
to take the Opening Verse S. at Churchill Downs last out on May 30.
Up With the Birds will make his second start for trainer
Graham Motion, who has stated that the Arlington Million is the goal for the
Canadian classic winner. Honored as Canada's Horse of the Year and champion
three-year-old male in 2013, Up With the Birds was fourth in last year's
Arlington Million while under the tutelage of longtime trainer Malcolm Pierce.
The bay five-year-old
enters the Arlington 'Cap off an season-opening third in the Dixie S. (G2) at Pimlico on Preakness Day,
May 16. Drayden Van Dyke gets the
return call.
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| Gaga A will attempt to go two-for-two stateside in the Modesty
(Benoit Photos) |
Three other preps for the
Arlington International Festival of Racing, which takes place on August 15, are
also carded on Million Preview Day.
The $100,000
Modesty H.
(G3) is a course and 1 3/16-mile distance prep for the
$700,000 Beverly D. S. (G1) and also allows for its top three finishers to earn
automatic paid berths into that contest.
Ten distaffers drew in for the
59th running of the Modesty, including Group 2 victress Mango Diva (Holy Roman
Emperor), who will attempt to improve off a seventh in the Gallorette H. (G3)
while making her stateside bow; Grade 2 heroine Overheard (Macho Uno), a close
third in the Nassau S. (Can-G2) when last seen in May; dual Grade 2 queen
Riposte (Dansili), unplaced while going for a title defense in the New York S.
(G2) on June 5; and Possibly Perfect H. vixen Gaga A (T. H. Approval).
The $100,000
American Derby
(G3) is the local race for the $500,000 Secretariat S. (G1) as well as being the first graded
race of the season at Arlington. A trio of stakes-winning sophomores -- World
Approval (Northern Afleet), Firespike (Flower Alley) and Crittenden (Distorted
Humor) -- head a field of seven
runners entered in the 1 1/8-mile contest.
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The American Derby kicks off an All-Stakes Pick-4 that also includes the
$100,000
Stars and Stripes S. (G3), which serves as the prep for the $400,000
American St. Leger (G3). A competitive field of 11 passed the entry box for the
1 1/2-mile affair including three -- The Pizza Man, last-out Elkhorn S. (G2)
winner Dramedy (Distorted Humor) and dual stakes-placed Yankee Dealer (Yankee
Gentleman) --
who were cross-entered in the Arlington 'Cap.
The race also features the respective top two from the May 23, 1 1/2-mile
Louisville H. (G3) in Xtra Luck (Exchange Rate) and For Greater Glory (Afleet
Alex), as well as Grade 3-scoring mare Three Hearts (Hat Trick).
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