Hogy on course for Hanshin Cup title defense

William Stiritz's Hogy made a spirited return to Arlington International

Racecourse on Sunday, bringing defeat and revenge upon rival Saint Leon in the

feature race, a six-furlong allowance optional claiming event on the main track.

The last time Hogy and Saint Leon faced one another, they battled the length of

the stretch in last July's Arlington Sprint, with the latter charge claiming a

slim victory in one of the most thrilling events of the season. On Sunday, the

result was reversed after a skirmish that started from the very beginning when

Hogy -- a stalker/closer -- popped out of the gate on par with his rival.

"The sucker broke like a rocket," an emphatic Chris Emigh said of his ride

aboard Hogy. "I didn't know at that point if I could go with Saint Leon, so I

relaxed him down inside and then took to the outside when I could.  He

likes it outside -- he can run on the inside if he needs to -- but he runs

really well without anything in his way."

At the quarter-pole, the son of Offlee Wild made a rapid move when asked and

swallowed the two horses between him and Saint Leon with visible ease.  The

move was so quick, he actually ran slightly past Saint Leon as they hit the

homestretch.  The remainder of the drive was a brief battle followed by a

clinic on why the 2014 version of Hogy is a bogey to those who may face him.

"Once we started moving on the outside, I was riding pretty confidently, but

I know Saint Leon is a tough horse and was hoping that he wouldn't keep going. 

We ran him down, though, and kept going," Emigh continued. "Hopefully this gets

him perfect for the race. They (the connections) were telling me they could

either work him or run him (in the allowance) and I'm glad they ran him."

Trainer Scott Becker was equally as impressed. 

"It worked out well. It was what we wanted to do with him and he did it. He's

a tough little horse who always tries hard," he said. "He had been bouncing

around and beating down the barn, so we figured we would run him. We wanted to

sit back and finish well and then gallop out well. This should set us up for the

next race."

The next race is a probable defense of his crown in the Grade 3, $150,000

Hanshin Cup at a mile on the main track May 24. 

"As far as the Hanshin, we will see how he's doing, obviously, and intend on

running," Becker said. "We'll ultimately make our final decision the morning of

the race. He's a good-feeling horse and should be fine bouncing back in two

weeks."

Becker was quick to point out his respect for the competition on Sunday. 

"You're always concerned about any horse in the race -- they're all capable

horses. Saint Leon is a tough horse. He won the battle last time, but we got him

this time. He's a tough and fast nine-year-old horse and Michele (Boyce,

trainer) has done a great job with him.

"We thought (Hogy) would run well today. In the race at Keeneland (a

fourth-place finish in the April Shakertown Stakes in his prior start),

everything had to go our way in order to win, but it didn't. That's how turf

sprints can be -- you got to have all the breaks. He ran hard that day but the

pace was a little soft and he didn't have much luck. Today was a different

story."

Also scheduled for Hanshin Cup Day is the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Matron,

featuring Frivolous. G. Watts Humphrey's versatile homebred is training well and

headed to the Matron, according to her trainer Victoria Oliver. Exiting an

impressive 4 1/4-length victory (closing her last eighth in a sharp :12.13) in

an allowance event at Keeneland April 13, the daughter of the long-winded Empire

Maker finished second last July in the Arlington Oaks at the same course and 1

1/8-mile distance.

"She ran really hard last year -- almost all in stakes -- and we just gave

her some time off to recover," Oliver explained. "She's really matured since."

Such maturity could come in handy, as the prospective field for the Matron

could be flush with quality stakes mares, including Illinois champions Hernandez

Racing Club's La Tia and Tim Keeley's My Option, who are both considering the

race -- though the nine furlongs may come up too early in the season for both.

Another solid filly on the fence for the race is Every Way (owned by the

partnership of Steven Perlick, Alan Herman, Richard Dunn and Haynes Stable), who

defeated La Tia last Friday in a stakes-quality allowance event at Arlington.

Such distance and timing limitations do not apply to Frivolous, a daughter of

the aforementioned Belmont Stakes winner.

"I think she does her best running at nine furlongs," Oliver said. "Her race

at Keeneland was over synthetic and at the same distance as the Matron and I

think she's one who enjoys it as the races get longer."

The filly has also proven a tough customer on various surfaces and distances

for her connections.  She ran credibly on the grass last year in both the

Hatoof Stakes and Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington, and won her debut on the dirt

at Churchill.

"She's really a filly who can run on virtually anything," Oliver said. "She

can run at a lot of distances, as well, but if it's shorter -- like a mile or a

mile and a sixteenth -- she needs a bit of pace. 

"This race at Keeneland was a good step for her. Hopefully it sets us up for

the Matron on the 24th. She'll work this week and blow out next week (at

Keeneland) and then be ready to head to Arlington," Oliver said. 

"Hopefully we'll get (jockey James) Graham on her again (who rode her at

Keeneland). The Matron was always in the back of our mind when we started her

there and he knows Arlington so well."

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